1. Introduction
Dementia is an increasing threat to population health
because of its association with the aging of the population,
reduced quality of life, and premature mortality. It also poses
substantial financial demands on the economy due to the
increasing requirement for health and social care for people
with dementia as well as substantial need for informal care.
A recent report estimated the overall annual costs of dementia
to society in the United Kingdom to be £26.8 billion, of