Home › Research › Getting a diagnosis
Large Language Models: A Paradigm Shift for Dementia Diagnosis and Care
Judith Rose Harrison, Song Ling Tang, Bede Burston, Alexander Robertson, Huizhi Liang, John‐Paul Taylor. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 2025-10-09
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Dementia poses major challenges to healthcare worldwide. Traditional diagnostics rely on lengthy assessments, and access to specialist clinicians is limited. Large language models (LLMs), like Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4 (GPT-4) present new avenues for enhancing dementia diagnosis and care through advanced language processing. Whilst research into their applications is in its infancy, LLMs can harness vast datasets and powerful algorithms, with significant potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy in dementia, monitor symptom progression, and provide personalised care recommendations. While dementia serves as the primary example, the ethical and practical considerations discussed are applicable to the wider use of LLMs across different areas of medicine. This review explores the prospect of LLMs transforming dementia management and addresses the ethical and practical considerations involved.
Key findings
- Whilst research into their applications is in its infancy, LLMs can harness vast datasets and powerful algorithms, with significant potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy in dementia, monitor symptom progression, and provide personalised care recommendations.
Why it matters
This review explores the potential of large language models to enhance dementia diagnosis, monitor symptom progression, and provide personalised care recommendations. It states that research into these applications is in its infancy and does not report any treatment, cure, or prevention.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Getting a diagnosis →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 37/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (British Journal of Hospital Medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | British Journal of Hospital Medicine: journal h-index 45 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 6 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 6 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author John‐Paul Taylor: h-index 67 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Newcastle University: institution h-index 932 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41134177) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 37 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.12968/hmed.2024.0666
- PubMed: 41134177
- Original source →
- Free full text: British Journal of Hospital Medicine →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Harrison, J. R., Tang, S. L., Burston, B., Robertson, A., Liang, H., & Taylor, J. (2025). Large Language Models: A Paradigm Shift for Dementia Diagnosis and Care. British Journal of Hospital Medicine. https://doi.org/10.12968/hmed.2024.0666
Vancouver
Harrison JR, Tang SL, Burston B, Robertson A, Liang H, Taylor J. Large Language Models: A Paradigm Shift for Dementia Diagnosis and Care. British Journal of Hospital Medicine. 2025. doi:10.12968/hmed.2024.0666. PMID: 41134177.
BibTeX
@article{harrison2025-41134177,
author = {Harrison, Judith Rose and Tang, Song Ling and Burston, Bede and Robertson, Alexander and Liang, Huizhi and Taylor, John‐Paul},
title = {{Large Language Models: A Paradigm Shift for Dementia Diagnosis and Care}},
journal = {British Journal of Hospital Medicine},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.12968/hmed.2024.0666},
pmid = {41134177},
url = {https://doi.org/10.12968/hmed.2024.0666}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Getting a diagnosis
Also tagged “prevalence”
1,224 studies in the library carry the topic tag “prevalence”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,224 tagged studies.