Across the globe, researchers are racing to develop ways to detect dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the critical early stages. Recent breakthroughs in dementia testing are promising.
But what are they? And how will they change early dementia detection in the near future?
Why is Early Detection Important?
The earlier dementia or MCI is detected, the more options you have to take action. Early detection leads to earlier diagnosis, which opens the door to starting treatment, making lifestyle changes, and accessing support services when they’re most effective.
Some medications also work best in the earliest stages, when they can help slow further cognitive decline.
Put simply: sooner is better for treatment, for care, and peace of mind.
👉 Related reading: Advice For When a Loved One Refuses a Dementia Test
1. Blood Tests for Dementia: A 10 Year Advance?
Blood tests for detecting dementia and cognitive impairment are becoming increasingly advanced, capable of identifying subtle brain changes at the molecular level.
For example, researchers at the University of Cambridge have found a way to detect signs of brain inflammation, an early indicator of dementia, through a simple blood test.
This breakthrough could help predict dementia up to 10 - 20 years before symptoms appear.
Similarly, another 2024 study analysed blood samples to detect changes in two key biomarkers: amyloid and tau proteins, both associated with Alzheimer's disease.
These blood-based tests may soon replace brain scans and lumbar punctures, offering a faster, less invasive route to diagnosis.
2. Home Test Kits for Dementia
Imagine a simple test for Alzheimer’s you could take from the comfort of home?
Thanks to researchers at the University of Canterbury, this is no longer a distant hope. In recent breaking news, a team led by Professor Renwick has developed a home test kit that uses human tears to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
This method could detect signs 5-10 years before symptoms appear.
👉 Learn more about the University of Canterbury's dementia research clinic
3. Speech Patterns Reveal Cognitive Impairment
Changes in speech are widely recognised as an early sign of dementia or MCI.
But now, with the use of AI and audio tools, scientists have developed methods to detect tiny changes in speech patterns our own ears would miss.
For example, a study by Bertini et al. (2021) which analysed the structure of speech audio signals was able to identify people with cognitive impairment at 90% accuracy.
In a recent 2024 breakthrough, S. Amani and their team researchers at Boston University created an AI model that could predict if someone with MCI was likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease within 6 years.
While speech-based dementia screening is not widely used in clinical practice, it has the potential to revolutionise how cognitive decline is detected, monitored, and managed at scale.
👉 Have a loved one living with dementia? Don't miss these: Effective Communication Tips
4. Eye & Body Movement
Another breakthrough in dementia testing involves the analysis of movement, largely through eye tracking and analysing gait.
Studies using eye-tracking technology show that people with MCI may respond differently to visual cues in their environment, and that neurodegeneration can affect visual attention, reaction time, and even blink rate.
It's in your step...
Similarly, walking patterns can also provide clues to early cognitive decline.
By analysing video recordings of older adults during movement tasks, researchers have successfully distinguished between healthy individuals, those affected by MCI, and those with Alzheimer’s disease.
This research is still developing, but in the near future we could see wearable devices becoming widespread to detect subtle movement changes.
5. Simple Smell Tests
There's a growing school of thought that early dementia affects our sensory system, including hearing, vision, touch, and smell - not just memory and language.
A remarkable study from 2018 indicates that a simple smell test could help predict the risk of somebody developing dementia 5 years later.
This research, led by Professor Jayant Pinto from the University of Chicago, suggests that the inability to detect smells could be an early warning sign of dementia.
👉 See our article on: The Simple Smell Test That Predicts Dementia
A New Era For Dementia Detection
The future of cognitive health is arriving faster than many of us imagined. Overall, advances in dementia detection suggest that we should look forward to the arrival of innovations that offer greater compassion and accuracy. In particular, the above breakthroughs in dementia tests highlight a new era: a period where earlier detection is not just possible, but practical.
Curious about how innovations including Elli Cares are already making a difference to daily care?
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