First-of-Its-Kind Test Can Predict Dementia up to Nine Years Before Diagnosis

Queen Mary University researchers have created a method to predict dementia with high accuracy years before diagnosis by analyzing brain network connectivity using fMRI scans.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have created a new technique that predicts dementia with over 80% accuracy up to nine years prior to diagnosis. This method surpasses traditional approaches like memory tests and measurements of brain shrinkage, two commonly used methods for diagnosing dementia.

The team, led by Professor Charles Marshall, developed the predictive test by analyzing functional MRI (fMRI) scans to detect changes in the brain’s ‘default mode network’ (DMN). The DMN connects regions of the brain to perform specific cognitive functions and is the first neural network to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease.