Early Signs Alzheimer’s Personality Changes

Ruling Out Other Possible Causes

While changes in memory and relationships can serve as early signs of dementia, other times they may indicate mild or reversible health conditions.

Because other medical conditions can mimic dementia, it’s important to see a doctor and get evaluated if you or someone you love starts noticing signs of forgetfulness or confusion. These types of “reversible dementias” include sleep apnea, infections such as encephalitis and meningitis, tumors, hypothyroidism, and medication side effects.11

Research also suggests that some chronic medical conditions might elevate your risk of developing dementia. For example, people with diabetes who have chronically high blood sugar levels are at increased risk for developing signs of dementia.12

Diabetes is also one of 12 modifiable factors in a report issued by the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention that is shown to increase the risk of dementia. The other 11 risk factors are:13

• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Traumatic brain injury

In fact, those modifiable risk factors may be the best place to start. “If someone is 35 or 85, if they are having memory loss, looking for treatable causes is really important because it could be a modifiable cause,” said Dr. Billars.

Exploring Other Causes For Changes In A Senior

Before you jump to the conclusion that a senior you love has Alzheimers disease, know that there may be other explanations for the changes you see.

Causes of Depression and Irritability

Depression and irritability can both be caused by aging-related losses. Maybe your senior loved one recently had a close companion relocate to be nearer to their children. Or perhaps they are dealing with health conditions that make it more difficult to participate in hobbies and interests theyve always enjoyed.

Personality Changes Caused by Medication

Another source for a personality change in a senior might be a medication side effect or interaction. Review your aging loved ones medications with their pharmacist or physician. Ask if any of them might be creating the problem.

Infection or Thyroid Disease

There are also a variety of health conditions that closely mimic Alzheimers. A urinary tract infection and thyroid disease are two of the most common ones. Share your concerns with their physician who may want to order blood work to make the determination.

Strengths And Limitations Of The Study

Speaking about the studys strengths, Prof. Terracciano says, Unlike previous research, this study examined multiple waves of self-rated personality data collected up to 36 years before participants developed any sign of dementia.

In addition to the long-term follow-up, the authors list the considerable sample size and the in-depth personality and clinical assessments as strengths of the study.

However, they also admit some limitations to their research. For one thing, the sample was limited to people with a higher level of education.

Also, participants who did not develop dementia during the follow-up tended to be younger on average, so the authors concede that these people may go on to develop dementia in the future.

Finally, the authors note that some personality traits might make some people resilient to the brain pathology that characterizes Alzheimers disease. More research is warranted in this direction.

Read Also: Is There A Blood Test For Diagnosing Alzheimer’s

Warning Signs Of Alzheimer’s

Memory often changes as people grow older. Some people notice changes in themselves before anyone else does. For other people, friends and family are the first to see changes in memory, behavior, or abilities. Memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a typical part of aging. People with one or more of these 10 warning signs should see a doctor to find the cause. Early diagnosis gives them a chance to seek treatment and plan for the future.

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life: forgetting events, repeating yourself or relying on more aids to help you remember .

2.Challenges in planning or solving problems: having trouble paying bills or cooking recipes you have used for years.

3.Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure: having problems with cooking, driving places, using a cell phone, or shopping.

4.Confusion with time or place: having trouble understanding an event that is happening later, or losing track of dates.

5.Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relations: having more difficulty with balance or judging distance, tripping over things at home, or spilling or dropping things more often.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alzheimers Association have created the Healthy Brain Initiatives State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Road Map.

8. being a victim of a scam, not managing money well, paying less attention to hygiene, or having trouble taking care of a pet.

Symptoms Specific To Dementia With Lewy Bodies

Dementia with Lewy bodies has many of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, and people with the condition typically also experience:

• periods of being alert or drowsy, or fluctuating levels of confusion
• visual hallucinations
• becoming slower in their physical movements
• repeated falls and fainting

Read more about dementia with Lewy bodies.

Read Also: Which Of The Following Statements Is True Regarding Dementia

Is A Personality Change An Early Sign Of Alzheimers

< ![CDATA[Alzheimers is a brain disease that can cause a persons memory, thinking and reasoning skills to gradually deteriorate. Many of us are familiar with warning signs like memory loss and confusion. A number of additional early red flags include:

• Poor judgment, especially with money
• Difficulty writing or speaking
• Withdraw from work/social activities

These symptoms are closely related to cognitive skills and are easier to tie to Alzheimers or some form of dementia.

But what if a loved ones personality changes? Could that be a sign of Alzheimers or a related form of dementia?

Some personality changes that could be early signs of Alzheimers are:

Newer research is exploring the connection between changes in personality and the likelihood of it being linked to Alzheimers.

New Alzheimers Research on Mild Behavioral Impairment

Neuropsychiatrists and Alzheimers experts recently conducted a study that resulted in a proposed new diagnosis called Mild Behavioral Impairment . It would serve as early detector of Alzheimers. This diagnosis would identify mood or behavioral changes in a person and whether or not it is an early sign of dementia.

The group shared their theory at the Alzheimers Association International Conference in Toronto in 2016. They presented a checklist of 34 questions family members could use to determine if a family members sudden personality change is a sign of early stage of Alzheimers.

These questions included:

Personality Change May Be Early Sign Of Dementia Experts Say

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By Pam Belluck

Has the person become agitated, aggressive, irritable, or temperamental? the questionnaire asks. Does she/he have unrealistic beliefs about her/his power, wealth or skills?

Or maybe another kind of personality change has happened: Does she/he no longer care about anything?

If the answer is yes to one of these questions or others on a new checklist and the personality or behavior change has lasted for months, it could indicate a very early stage of dementia, according to a group of neuropsychiatrists and Alzheimers experts.

They are proposing the creation of a new diagnosis: mild behavioral impairment. The idea is to recognize and measure something that some experts say is often overlooked: Sharp changes in mood and behavior may precede the memory and thinking problems of dementia.

The group made the proposal on Sunday at the Alzheimers Association International Conference in Toronto, and presented a 34-question checklist that may one day be used to identify people at greater risk for Alzheimers.

Most people think of Alzheimers as primarily a memory disorder, but we do know from years of research that it also can start as a behavioral issue.

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Struggling To Adapt To Change

For someone in the early stages of dementia, the experience can cause fear. Suddenly, they cant remember people they know or follow what others are saying. They cant remember why they went to the store, and they get lost on the way home.

Because of this, they might crave routine and be afraid to try new experiences. Difficulty adapting to change is also a typical symptom of early dementia.

If The Diagnosis Is Alzheimers

An early diagnosis will give your physician the opportunity to work with you or your senior loved one on interventions that may help slow the progression of the disease. While there is currently no cure, researchers say there are steps you can take that may help, such as managing cholesterol, eating a healthy diet, getting a good nights rest, and exercising.

Environment also plays a role. A thoughtfully designed memory care community can give a senior with Alzheimers disease the support they need while also allowing them to feel independent. One of our experienced senior care advisors can help you learn more.

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Are My Loved Ones Personality Changes A Sign Of Dementia

Personality changes may be an early dementia symptom, but they dont always indicate that a senior has dementia. Try speaking with your loved one about your concerns. You may discover other factors that could be affecting their mental and cognitive health. Depression, for instance, can have symptoms that mimic dementia. Other illnesses, such as stroke or heart disease, the death of a loved one, and sleep disturbances are common risk factors for depression in seniors, according to the National Institute on Aging .

As a caregiver, its important to keep track of any new or unusual behaviors you observe. This will make it easier to help your loved one understand why youre concerned and address these changes with their doctor.

Read: 10 Signs of Alzheimers Disease and Other Dementias

You Should Go To The Doctor Even If You Spot One Sign Of Alzheimer’s

The Alzheimer’s Association says that if you notice any of the 10 warning signs listed above in yourself or someone you know, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your doctor as there are numerous benefits to an early diagnosis.

Dr Bray urges people to get checked out if they believe they or someone they know are experiencing any of the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s, “It is important to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease as early as possible to allow people to access the right support and treatments to manage their symptoms. It also means that they, and their family and friends, can plan for the future. Living with dementia comes with many challenges but having the right support in place including financially – can make a significant difference to people’s lives.”

Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, the medical benefits of an early diagnosis can include access to treatment options to slow the decline or lessen the symptoms. There may also be the opportunity to participate in clinical trials and receive non-drug treatments like cognitive stimulation therapy, or reminiscence therapy.

Emotional benefits may include organizing difficult conversations like who will take over power of attorney, and planning ahead to organize any legal, financial, or end-of-life wishes.

Recommended Reading: Best Places For Dementia Patients

Why People With Dementia Experience Personality Changes

Dementia symptoms appear due to changes in the brain. Different aspects of a loved ones personality or behavior may change depending on which areas of the brain are affected. Certain personality changes are associated with different dementia types, according to the Weill Institute for Neurosciences.

For example, Alzheimers disease is most likely to result in apathy, anxiety, depression, repetitive behavior, and irritability. Someone with Lewy body dementia may experience more hallucinations and delusions. Seniors with frontotemporal dementia may be more likely to experience eating disorders and a lack of inhibitions because this dementia affects areas of the brain responsible for judgment, communication, and personality.

Inability To Understand Spatial Relationships

Its not uncommon for us to experience vision problems as we get older. But pay close attention to impairment that involves changes of color vision or an inability to accurately measure the distance between objects. Perhaps your loved one reaches for a lamp to turn it on but misses the switch because the lamp appears closer than it actually is. Or perhaps they fail to notice something right in front of them. If your loved one is struggling to understand how close or far away an object truly is, it could be an early warning sign of Alzheimers disease.

Also Check: How To Handle A Person With Dementia

Changes In Mood And Personality

Mood and personality changes may be a symptom. Someone with Alzheimer’s may become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful, or anxious. They may easily get upset at home, with friends or family, or when out of their comfort zone.

• Study Analyzes Schizophrenia and Dementia Link To Gauge Recovery Potential

New Diagnosis To Precede Mild Cognitive Impairment

A group of researchers that includes neuropsychiatrists and Alzheimers experts are proposing a new diagnosis called mild behavioral impairment for early detection of Alzheimers. The new diagnosis would identify startling changes in behavior and mood, an often overlooked sign of Alzheimers. Their proposal also means that a diagnosis of MBI would be a clinical designation that comes before a mild cognitive impairment diagnosis.

The group presented their idea at the Alzheimers Association International Conference in Toronto, along with a 34-question checklist that could potentially be used to identify people at a greater risk for Alzheimers by identifying changes in behavior. The checklist includes questions such as:

• Does she/he have unrealistic beliefs about her/his power, wealth or skills?
• Does she/he no longer care about anything?
• Has the person become agitated, aggressive, irritable, or temperamental?

If the answers to these questions is yes and lasts for months, researchers believe it could actually be a very early stage of Alzheimers.

Nina Silverberg from the Alzheimers Disease Centers Programs at the National Institute on Aging, is supportive of the new diagnosis, stating:

I think we do need something like this. Most people think of Alzheimers as primarily a memory disorder, but we do know from years for research that it also can start as a behavioral issue.

Recommended Reading: How Do You Get A Person With Dementia To Eat

The Potential For Overdiagnosis Of The Earliest Sign Of Alzheimers

There is cause for concern from other Alzheimers experts that a diagnosis and a checklist like the one proposed may lead to an overdiagnosis, resulting in extreme overspending and unnecessary tests and treatments. Dr. Kenneth Langa, professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan states,

Theres the potential benefit of early diagnosis, identifying people more likely to decline, but adding, the flip side is overdiagnosis, labeling someone and getting people in the clinical cascade, where you start doing the test and people start doing more brain imaging and being at the doctors more and getting more concerned. If it becomes a routine practice, thats a huge amount of dollars.

Dr. Langa says that many people given an MCI diagnosis do not develop dementia until 10 years later, and as many as 20% are later found to be cognitively normal with stress or medications causing the MCI diagnosis. Dr. Langa said these findings, make me think twice about creating a new diagnosis.

Another reason to be cautious about the new diagnosis is that there is still no cure for dementia. One caregiver said that the benefit of a diagnosis is that there are medications which help manage mood and behavior but he wonders if a diagnosis becomes part of your health record thats accessible by insurance companies. And, do you really want to know? Because theres no cure yet.

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A Failing Sense Of Direction

A persons sense of direction and spatial orientation commonly starts to get worse with the onset of dementia. They may have difficulty recognizing once-familiar landmarks and forget how to get to familiar places they used to have no trouble finding.

It may also become more difficult to follow a series of directions and step-by-step instructions.

Recommended Reading: How Do You Get Dementia

Personality Changes Are Not The Earliest Sign Of Alzheimers

People with Alzheimers disease or other forms of dementia typically display troubling changes in behavior and personality. People may become moody or irritable, withdraw socially, or show uncharacteristic loss of motivation or paranoia, for example, even though they didnt usually show such behaviors previously.

But are such changes an early warning sign of impending dementia?A new study in JAMA Psychiatry, a journal from the American Medical Association, suggests they are not. The study found that personality changes do not tend to begin before other symptoms more typical of Alzheimers like memory impairment arise.

Personality remained stable even within the last few years before the onset of mild cognitive impairment, a form of memory loss that typically precedes dementia, said Antonio Terracciano, the studys lead author and associate professor in the department of geriatrics at the College of Medicine at Florida State University.

For the study, researchers used data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, a large and ongoing study of Baltimore residents. The study looked at personality and clinical assessments obtained between 1980 and 2016 from 2,046 men and women who initially showed no signs of dementia. The personality tests used 240 questions to assess such personality traits as how extraverted someone was, whether they tended to show neurotic behaviors, how open they were, how agreeable they were and how conscientious they were.