Struggling at work and being less productive could be a warning sign of early-onset dementia more than a decade before a diagnosis is made, scientists have found.Early-onset dementia is when the debilitating disease strikes a person before 65, causing a premature deterioration of their emotional and professional lives. Often, it has no apparent cause. Younger patients typically wait years for a diagnosis because the disease is not normally searched for among those not in their 60s. But now, researchers in Finland say the condition could be detected up to 15 years earlier by tracking someone's performance at work.In a study on nearly 800 early-onset dementia patients and 7,000 healthy individuals, researchers found those who had early-onset dementia earned $13,800 less per year on average than others from a decade-and-a-half before their diagnosis, which they said was due to them being less productive.Overall, researchers estimated that patients lost about $86,000 in wages over the course of the 12-year study due to the condition.Dr Eino Solje, a neurologist who led the research, said: '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.' Struggling at work could be an early warning sign of dementias, a study suggests