More than 80 percent of people surveyed say they want to be informed if they are someday diagnosed with dementia, according to the National Institute for Longevity Sciences.
In Japan, opinions have been split over whether to inform patients if they are growing senile because there are currently no established cures. The findings are likely to contribute to the ongoing debate.
The outcome of the survey, led by Yumiko Arai, head of a research unit at the institute, was presented at a meeting Friday of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society in Tokyo.