Three out of four people would want to know what kind of neurological disorder they had even if there was no cure, according to new global research from GE Healthcare.

An even higher percentage of respondents, 81 percent, would want to identify an incurable neurological disorder if it affected somebody close to them, with more women (84 percent) wanting to know than men (76 percent).

The "Value of Knowing" global survey of 10,000 adults across 10 countries explored perspectives on incurable neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s (PD).

While the overwhelming consensus (94 percent) is that the government or health insurance providers should cover diagnosis, approximately half (51 percent) of respondents indicated that they would even be prepared to pay for a diagnosis themselves.

This sentiment was particularly prevalent in India and China, where 71 percent and 83 percent respectively, said they would be prepared to pay. This was echoed by almost one half of those questioned in Russia and around one-third of respondents in the UK, the US and Japan.

“What these statistics tell us is just how strongly people feel about tackling neurological disorders like dementia,” said Marc Wortmann, executive director of Alzheimer’s Disease International.

When people surveyed were asked why they would want to know, the most common answer (71 percent) was to start treatment that could help manage the symptoms of the disease.

Dr. Ben Newton, director of PET neurology for GE Healthcare, commented: “It’s understandable that dementia is a frightening topic for people. Although there are currently no cures for many neurological disorders, there are symptom-modifying therapies and approaches available if detected early enough. The majority of respondents with more experience of a neurological disorder said that they would want to know in spite of there being no cure.”