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Time From Initial Community‐Based Dementia Consultation to Confirmed Diagnosis: A Retrospective Analysis
Akiko Yamazaki, Masahiro Mishina, Yuki Sakamoto, Satoshi Suda. Psychogeriatrics, 2026-02-16
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
A total of 739 patients were included: 504 with AD and 235 with non-AD dementias. Time to diagnosis was shorter in the AD group than in the non-AD group. This difference was primarily attributable to prolonged delays during the pre-hospital interval amongst patients with non-AD; however, delays during the in-hospital diagnostic process were small and largely overlapping between the groups. Diagnosis of AD, older age, and the presence of a primary care physician were associated with a shorter time to diagnosis, whereas higher cognitive scores at the initial community consultation were associated with longer diagnostic delays. Diagnostic delay differed substantially by dementia subtype. These findings highlight the importance of community-based consultation pathways as key targets for reducing diagnostic delays, particularly for patients with non-AD dementias.
Key findings
- A total of 739 patients were included: 504 with AD and 235 with non-AD dementias.
- Time to diagnosis was shorter in the AD group than in the non-AD group.
- This difference was primarily attributable to prolonged delays during the pre-hospital interval amongst patients with non-AD; however, delays during the in-hospital diagnostic process were small and largely overlapping between the groups.
- Diagnosis of AD, older age, and the presence of a primary care physician were associated with a shorter time to diagnosis, whereas higher cognitive scores at the initial community consultation were associated with longer diagnostic delays.
- Diagnostic delay differed substantially by dementia subtype.
Why it matters
In 739 patients, time to dementia diagnosis was shorter for Alzheimer's disease than for non-Alzheimer dementias, mainly due to longer pre-hospital delays in the non-Alzheimer group. This is about diagnostic timing only and reports nothing about treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants739
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 34/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 33 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 34 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Psychogeriatrics) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Psychogeriatrics: journal h-index 62 (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 | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 739 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× 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 | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Satoshi Suda holds only 9 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Nippon Medical School: institution h-index 344 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41699438) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 33 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 33 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 34 out of 100. |
| Total | 34 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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
Yamazaki, A., Mishina, M., Sakamoto, Y., & Suda, S. (2026). Time From Initial Community‐Based Dementia Consultation to Confirmed Diagnosis: A Retrospective Analysis. Psychogeriatrics. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyg.70148
Vancouver
Yamazaki A, Mishina M, Sakamoto Y, Suda S. Time From Initial Community‐Based Dementia Consultation to Confirmed Diagnosis: A Retrospective Analysis. Psychogeriatrics. 2026. doi:10.1111/psyg.70148. PMID: 41699438.
BibTeX
@article{yamazaki2026-41699438,
author = {Yamazaki, Akiko and Mishina, Masahiro and Sakamoto, Yuki and Suda, Satoshi},
title = {{Time From Initial Community‐Based Dementia Consultation to Confirmed Diagnosis: A Retrospective Analysis}},
journal = {Psychogeriatrics},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1111/psyg.70148},
pmid = {41699438},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/psyg.70148}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.