Societal upheaval caused by COVID-19 has likely contributed to more rapid cognitive decline in patients with dementia, one of Australia’s leading geriatricians says.

Associate Professor Michael Woodward told the RACP Congress that loss of routine and limits on visitors during lockdowns could have had a difficult-to-reverse impact on dementia.

European research had identified that, after five months of lockdown, patients with dementia had increased apathy, anxiety and agitation as measured on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, he said.

This was on top of neurological effects of COVID-19 for some patients with dementia who caught the virus and delayed diagnosis as people postponed medical care.