Would you like to be told if you have early stage dementia?
 

I heard yesterday that someone has created an AI algorithm which can tell people reliably whether their "senior moments" signal an early stage of dementia. I can't imagine anything more horrible!

With something like cancer, it usually pays to get an early diagnosis because cancer is often curable in its early stages. Dementia is progressive and incurable, and it eventually deprives you of all dignity. There are no effective treatments.

In my opinion there is only one time to get a dementia diagnosis and that is when you are already too senile to know or care what it means.

How do other people feel about this? Would you want to submit to such a test?

Would not mind it. But I'd get a 2nd opinion. Since it creeps like cancer and can't be fixed. No worries here on what I can do nothing about any ways. Guess I can just get lost some where.

I totally agree. I can think of nothing worse than knowing, worrying and waiting for the deterioration to start showing signs.
If you get it you may never know so it's nothing to worry about by then.

I dunno, would it matter? I mean, if you know, but have a "senior moment", and you forget you have dementia, then does it really matter that you know?

Dementia is a pretty loose term for a multitude of reasons for memory loss. Alzheimers, brain damage (from many things), old age. My grandfather had dementia, and they think it was from his days as a bomber pilot in the Navy during and around WWII. This was in the days before proper restraints, when they slingshot you off the aircraft carriers, and your head would slam back into the seat.

There are ways of treating Alzheimers, although there is no cure. (Yet) Many other kinds of dementia are treatable and some can be cured or reversed if caught early. There are even prescription drug interactions that cause dementia, and they can be treated by a change in medications: but if they go on too long the become permanent. I would want to know so I could act aggressively to reverse or prevent the problem from getting worse.

I would want to know since although it cannot yet be cured, it can be slowed/improved. I want to know I have had every opportunity to keep the wolf at bay.

I would want to know, so I could say good-bye.

I'd want to know, so that I could take the train to Belgium for euthanasia while I was still capable of doing it.

Actually, that depends. Caught early, some forms of dementia CAN be cured. Dementia is a kind of catch-all term for a lot of things that have symptoms or locations of effect in common, but are not all of the same cause, prognosis, or treatment.
For example: see https://www.dementia.org/ and https://www.myamericannurse.com/seve...-older-adults/

I am of two minds. I don't want to know, but at the same time I don't want to reach a point that I'm a danger to others. I think the spinner stops on tell me before the latter happens.

I have watched someone die with Alzheimers. By the time she passed away, there had been no one at home for years.

It was really quite awful.

My mother died of dementia, & I was primary carer, people avoid you like the plague, getting any help was also very difficult, & the lack of money just increased the stress levels to almost breaking point - would I want to know, probably not - I do just about everything I can to remain in a sane state of mind myself - exercise when I can, keep the brain active as best I can - that's probably all one can really do.

No,sorry once they know you have you are marked.
Anything you do from there on will always be doubted and they will wonder if you really do want to.
Dennis

Nothing in the question or replies would imply that anyone ELSE should be told, but "I" would want to know about my own diagnosis and what I could DO about it. This mythical "they" can remain in the dark!

Yes.

Quite apart from actively seeking treatment.

I would definitely like to know. First of all, while I still had some marbles I could sign a power of attorney document empowering someone to act on my behalf when I'm not at the races, and second, to respect the life I have now and investigate alternative cures, or control methodologies. There's always advantage tackling small problems before they become large ones.