Early-onset dementia lowers work productivity years before formal diagnosis

People diagnosed with early-onset dementia had reduced work productivity up to 15 years before diagnosis, according to a study published July 8, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers also found the number of years of lower productivity varied depending on the type of dementia.

The study does not prove that having early-onset dementia lowers productivity in the years prior, it only shows an association.

Early-onset dementia affects people during their most productive years and is associated with a decreased ability to work, increased unemployment and leaving jobs sooner than planned. These changes can reduce household income and contribute to broader economic impact. Our study found an association between reduced work productivity and early-onset dementia up to 15 years before diagnosis."

The study included 793 people diagnosed with early-onset dementia at two Finnish hospitals during a 12-year period. They were matched by age and sex to 7,926 people without dementia. Of those with dementia, 421 had Alzheimer's disease, 179 had frontotemporal dementia, 46 had alpha-synucleinopathies, which include dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia, and 147 had other forms of dementia including vascular cognitive disorders and mixed dementias.