Time to Diagnosis in Dementia: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gerontology
• Public Health

Background:

• Timely dementia diagnosis is a global health priority.
• Current estimates for dementia diagnosis time and influencing factors are lacking.
• This study addresses the need for robust data on dementia diagnosis intervals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review quantitative studies on the time to diagnosis (TTD) for dementia.
• To identify factors influencing the duration of TTD.
• To provide the first robust estimates of average TTD in dementia.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of EMBASE, Psych INFO, MEDLINE, and CINAHL databases.
• Inclusion of 13 quantitative studies with 30,257 participants.
• Meta-analysis of 10 studies for average TTD and 6 studies for young-onset dementia TTD.

Main Results:

• Average TTD across all dementia types is 3.5 years (CI: 2.7-4.3).
• Average TTD for young-onset dementia is 4.1 years (CI: 3.4-4.9).
• Younger age at onset and frontotemporal dementia are associated with longer TTD.

Conclusions:

• Dementia diagnosis intervals remain significantly long.
• Urgent need for healthcare strategies to improve TTD.
• Future research should focus on evidence building and interventions to reduce TTD, particularly for young-onset dementia.