Work productivity declines up to 15 years before early-onset dementia diagnosis
A new study in the journal Neurology found people with early-onset dementia, diagnosed before age 65, showed measurable drops in work productivity up to 15 years before diagnosis. The timing varied by type: about 11 years early for frontotemporal dementia and 6 years for Alzheimer's. Researchers stress this shows an association, not proof of cause.
Scientists reporting in the journal Neurology examined people with early-onset dementia, meaning they were diagnosed before the age of 65, and compared their work records with people who never developed the disease. Productivity losses grew steadily over time, appearing as early as 15 years before diagnosis, with each affected person showing average losses of roughly 86,000 US dollars. The lead time varied by dementia type: around 6 years before diagnosis for Alzheimer's disease, about 11 years for frontotemporal dementia, and only at diagnosis for alpha-synucleinopathies. The authors caution the results show an association, not proof that dementia caused the earlier decline, and say larger studies are needed. The finding suggests subtle changes in work performance may act as early markers of brain disease, well before memory symptoms become obvious. Source: study published July 8, 2026 in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.