28/05/2026
Latest information from the Alzheimer's Society
The first treatments that can slow Alzheimer’s disease are emerging - which means early and accurate diagnosis has never been more important.
Current diagnostic tools often rely heavily on language, such as memory or word-based tests.
While useful, these approaches can be influenced by a person’s language, education or cultural background, which could make diagnosis less accurate or accessible for some people.
We’re proud to fund research by Dr Chris Hardy, Alzheimer’s Society Carol Jennings Fellow at University College London, who is developing a new nonverbal ‘brain hearing’ test. Unlike a standard hearing test, which checks how well the ears detect sound, this test looks at how the brain processes sound.
The test asks people to identify one sound played into one ear while a different sound is played into the other. It reveals how effectively the brain separates and interprets competing noises, such as when in a busy environment like a restaurant.
Results found that patients with most forms of dementia performed worse than healthy volunteers using the nonverbal test.
By using everyday sounds and images rather than words, this approach offers a more inclusive way to assess how the brain is functioning.
It has the potential to support clinicians in identifying dementia earlier, while also improving the experience and fairness of diagnosis across diverse communities.
This test is not ready to be used widely yet. But with further research, a simple and accessible tool like this could play an important role in helping more people living with dementia access the early and accurate diagnosis they deserve.
