Prediction possibilities and early detection of dementia
Research on predicting dementia aims to forecast the risk of later dementia on the basis of an identified disposition or certain risk factors in a person who is healthy at the time of the study. Prediction of dementia must be distinguished from its early detection or early diagnosis, which is aimed at diagnosing a disease in a person who is often still asymptomatic at a particularly early stage.
See for the terminological distinction between prediction, predictive diagnosis and early detection of dementia:
Damm, R. (2013): Prädikative Diagnostik und Demenz. In: GesundheitsRecht 12 (7), 385-399, especially 385-386. doi: 10.9785/ovs-gesr-2013-385 Online Version (German)
Cf. for an overview of prediction and early detection options and risk-factors:
Jessen, F. (2019): Früherkennung der Alzheimer-Krankheit und Ansätze der Prävention. In: Bundesgesundheitsblatt 62, 255-260. doi: 10.1007/s00103-019-02877-2 Online Version (German)
Ranson, J. M. / Rittman, T. / Hayat, S./ Brayne, C. / Jessen, F. / Blennow, K. / Duijn, C. v. / Barkhof, F. / Tang, E. / Mummery, C. J. / Stephan, B. C. M. / Altomare, D. / Frisonie, G. B. / Ribaldi, F. / Mulinuevo, J. L. / Scheltens, P. / Llewellyn, D. J. / European Task Force for Brain Health Services (2021): Modifiable risk factors for dementia and dementia risk profiling. A user manual for Brain Health Services. Part 2 of 6. In: Alzheimer's Research and Therapy 13 (169). Online Version
Cf. for a brief reflection on the possibilities of early diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia:
Deutsche Alzheimer Gesellschaft e.V. (2013): Empfehlungen zum Umgang mit Frühdiagnostik bei Demenz Online Version (German)
Porsteinsson, A. P. / Isaacson, R. S. / Knox, S. / Sabbagh, M.N. / Rubino, I. (2021): Diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease: clinical practice in 2021. In: The Journal of Alzheimer‘s Disease, 8, 371-386. Online Version