Dementia tool may lead to better health outcomes

A world-first tool spearheaded by a neuropsychologist may speed up the diagnosing process and improve overall health outcomes for people with dementia.

Australian's can wait up to three years before diagnosis due to the lengthy administrative process and data calculation.

So, NSW's Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing doctor Adam Bentvelzen designed a digital tool where neuropsychologists can enter data and instantly receive normative results back they can interpret for diagnosis. 

Bentvelzen said early diagnosis is crucial to maximising someone's future health outcomes.

"It just takes forever to get those scores and turn them into results ready for interpretation – it can be really frustrating," he said.

"If we can speed up the process, the time saved can go towards improving the patient's development and quality of life."

People who might experience signs of dementia usually see a neuropsychologist, who specialises in the brain and how it processes memory, thinking and affects behaviour.

Confusion, changes in personality, apathy or difficulties performing day-to-day tasks are all associated with early warning signs of dementia.

Bentvelzen said a correct diagnosis is essential to rule out other underlying medical illnesses and to find the best treatment.

Yet, neurological assessment requires various tests that each can take up to two hours to complete and can include specialised tests like CT scans and laboratory tests.

"In most cases, neuropsychologists go over the data by hand because computer programs don't calculate it for them," Bentvelzen said.

"It's really time-consuming if you're doing assessments for data from multiple people in a day."

Every year, roughly ten million people are diagnosed with dementia worldwide.

Dementia is a terminal illness that prompts the death of brain cells, first affecting someone's mental capacities and eventually impacting the brain's control over the rest of the body.

It's estimated that someone lives up to ten years after receiving their first diagnosis. 

Still, if the assessment process takes too long, people with dementia tend to have poorer outcomes, research found.

Bentvelzen said all the little bonuses add to help people with dementia better.

"If the process takes less time, it can cut time on waiting lists and help neuropsychologists make a better-informed decision on the diagnosis," he said.

"They can also spend more time providing feedback and working on a better care plan that suits their needs."

The ADNeT Neuropsychological Norming Tool (ANNT) was designed in collaboration with experts from 17 institutions and launched last week.

Bentvelzen said they've already received 'amazing feedback' with over 130 people registering to use the tool in their practice.

"I hope this tool will positively impact people by diagnosing them sooner and improve their quality of life," he said.

"There's a lot of excitement for a good reason – I think the great thing about it is we can only improve on this and do better."

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