Key Questions Answered:
Q: How long does it typically take to diagnose dementia?
A: On average, 3.5 years from first symptom recognition—4.1 years for early-onset cases.
Q: What factors delay diagnosis?
A: Younger age, frontotemporal dementia, systemic healthcare issues, and stigma.
Q: Why does timely diagnosis matter?
A: Early diagnosis improves access to treatments and prolongs quality of life during early stages.
Summary: A global analysis has revealed that people with dementia wait an average of 3.5 years after symptom onset before receiving a diagnosis. The delay is even longer—about 4.1 years—for early-onset dementia, with younger patients and those with frontotemporal dementia facing the greatest lags.
Factors include misinterpreting symptoms as normal aging, limited access to specialists, stigma, and healthcare system bottlenecks. Researchers call for urgent reforms to improve clinician training, public awareness, and diagnostic infrastructure worldwide.
Key Facts:
- Long Delays: Dementia diagnosis takes an average of 3.5 years after symptoms begin.
- Younger Patients at Risk: Early-onset and younger individuals face longer delays, averaging 4.1 years.
- Barriers to Diagnosis: Stigma, lack of awareness, specialist shortages, and systemic issues all contribute.
Source: UCL
People with dementia are diagnosed an average of 3.5 years after symptoms are first noticed, or even longer (4.1 years) for those with early-onset dementia, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
The study, published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, is the first systematic review and meta-analysis of global evidence examining time to diagnosis in dementia.
The researchers reviewed data from 13 previously published studies which took place in Europe, US, Australia and China, reporting data on 30,257 participants.
The research team was investigating the average interval between symptom onset (rated by patients or family carers using interviews or medical records) to the final diagnosis of dementia.
Lead author Dr Vasiliki Orgeta (UCL Division of Psychiatry) said: “Timely diagnosis of dementia remains a major global challenge, shaped by a complex set of factors, and specific healthcare strategies are urgently needed to improve it. Other studies estimate that only 50-65% of cases are ever diagnosed in high-income countries, with many countries having even lower diagnostic rates.
“Timely diagnosis can improve access to treatments and for some people prolong the time living with mild dementia before symptoms worsen.”
In a pooled meta-analysis of 10 of the included studies, the researchers found that it typically takes 3.5 years from the first alert of symptoms to a patient receiving a diagnosis of dementia, or 4.1 years for those with early-onset dementia, with some groups more likely to experience longer delays.
They found that younger age at onset and having frontotemporal dementia were both linked to longer time to diagnosis. While data on racial disparities was limited, one of the studies reviewed found that black patients tended to experience a longer delay before diagnosis.
Dr Orgeta said: “Our work highlights the need for a clear conceptual framework on time to diagnosis in dementia, developed in collaboration with people with dementia, their carers, and supporters.”
Dr Phuong Leung (UCL Division of Psychiatry) said: “Symptoms of dementia are often mistaken for normal ageing, while fear, stigma, and low public awareness can discourage people from seeking help.”
Professor Rafael Del-Pino-Casado, of the University of Jaén, Spain, said: “Within healthcare systems, inconsistent referral pathways, limited access to specialists, and under-resourced memory clinics can create further delays. For some, language differences or a lack of culturally appropriate assessment tools can make access to timely diagnosis even harder.”
Dr Orgeta added: “To speed up dementia diagnosis, we need action on multiple fronts. Public awareness campaigns can help improve understanding of early symptoms and reduce stigma, encouraging people to seek help sooner.
“Clinician training is critical to improve early recognition and referral, along with access to early intervention and individualised support so that people with dementia and their families can get the help they need.”
About this dementia research news
Author: Mark Greaves
Source: UCL
Contact: Mark Greaves – UCL
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Time to Diagnosis in Dementia: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis” by Vasiliki Orgeta et al. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Abstract
Time to Diagnosis in Dementia: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis
Timely dementia diagnosis is a global priority, reflected in most national and regional policies and plans.
Nevertheless, there are currently no robust estimates of the average time to diagnosis (TTD) and factors influencing diagnostic intervals.
This article presents the first systematic review of quantitative studies on TTD in dementia and the factors associated with its duration.
We systematically searched EMBASE, Psych INFO, MEDLINE, and CINAHL databases for relevant studies published up to December 2024. We defined TTD as the interval between symptom onset (rated by family carers or patients using interviews or medical records) to final diagnosis.
Risk of bias was assessed using the Reporting studies on time to diagnosis tool. We included 13 studies reporting data on 30,257 participants, with age at onset ranging between 54 and 93 years.
Meta-analysis pooling 10 studies showed that average mean TTD across all types of dementia was 3.5 years [confidence interval (CI): 2.7–4.3; moderate quality evidence].
Analyses of six studies showed that TTD in young onset dementia was 4.1 years (CI: 3.4–4.9; moderate quality evidence). Although the factors influencing TTD were inconsistent, a younger age at onset and having frontotemporal dementia were consistently associated with a longer interval to diagnosis.
TTD in dementia remains long, and specific healthcare strategies are urgently needed to improve it. Increasing the evidence base and developing interventions to reduce TTD should be a future research priority.
Specialist services are likely to be key in improving TTD in young-onset dementia.
