- READ MORE: One in two Americans will get dementia in their lives , study warns
A concerning study reveals that individuals experiencing early-stage dementia often fail to recognize the symptoms, as indicated by research findings.
Scientists from the University of Michigan examined 300 individuals above the age of 65 who performed poorly on cognitive assessments, indicating they probably had dementia.
The group inquired of the participants whether any of them had previously been diagnosed with dementia.
Out of these, 80 percent stated that they had never done so. been told they had dementia and didn't know they showed the signs.
The percentage was even greater amongst Mexican Americans, who constituted the majority of participants in the study. The researchers discovered that 85 percent of this segment were unaware of their dementia diagnosis.
The discoveries emerge as additional studies reveal more about the initial indications of the condition, affecting 8 million people in America.
Although many individuals recognize that memory loss is an evident indication of dementia, other early signs Having difficulty organizing events, staying current with payments, and finding the right word can be more subtle challenges.
The researchers indicated that these patients could be unaware of their dementia diagnosis since their doctors may not allocate sufficient time for screening procedures and lack the training needed to identify initial symptoms effectively.
Dr Lewis Morgenstern, study author and professor of neurology, neurosurgery and emergency medicine at University of Michigan Medical School, said: 'Dementia diagnosis unawareness is a public health issue that must be addressed.
'The diagnosis of dementia provides the opportunity to seek out treatment and home care services to help both patients and caregivers.
If the diagnosis is not given, or the understanding of the diagnosis is unclear, it is a missed opportunity.'
The investigators examined data from 1,562 individuals aged 65 and older who were part of the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) Cognitive study conducted in Nueces County, Texas.
Out of these, 322 individuals obtained scores low enough on the cognitive assessments to be classified as 'possible dementia' cases.
The typical participant's age was 76, with females making up 55 percent of the surveyed adult population.
The team discovered that 81 percent of adults with likely dementia had not been informed about their diagnosis.
For Mexican-Americans, this figure increased to 85 percent.
Moreover, only seven percent of patients with suspected dementia had a primary care physician, which reduced their likelihood of undergoing screening during regular check-ups.
Josh Martins-Caulfield, the lead researcher and a medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City This disparity in knowledge might stem from the absence of a physician-patient connection.
He stated: "The doctor might not diagnose the patient or could be choosing to withhold a dementia diagnosis."
'Actually, doctors frequently pause before diagnosing dementia, mentioning factors like lacking adequate time per patient for the assessment or feeling they lack specific training related to dementia.'
'The discomfort of providing the diagnosis may also lead them to wait for patients or family members to raise concerns about memory issues rather than initiating discussions proactively.'
Currently nearly 8million Americans currently have some form of dementia and there are around 500,000 new cases diagnosed per year.
Diagnoses are also expected to rise from 60,000 in 2020 to 179,000 per year by 2060.
While the main cause of the dementia is still debated, scientists believe the disease is likely to be the result of an abnormal build-up of proteins - amyloid and tau - in and around brain cells.
Possible signs include memory loss, confusion, having trouble finding the right, difficulty completing previously simple tasks, mood changes, and poor judgment.
There were several limitations to the new study, with the main one being relying on self-reported data, which could be subject to bias.
Having the majority of the population concentrated in one county might result in a smaller and less varied sample size.
The research was released on Tuesday in the Journal of General Internal Medicine .
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