What Are The Signs Of Alzheimer’s Disease
Scientists continue to unravel the complex brain changes involved in the onset and progression of Alzheimers disease. It seems likely that damage to the brain starts a decade or more before memory and other cognitive problems appear. During this preclinical stage of Alzheimers disease, people seem to be symptom-free, but toxic changes are taking place in the brain.
Damage occurring in the brain of someone with Alzheimers disease begins to show itself in very early clinical signs and symptoms. For most people with Alzheimersthose who have the late-onset varietysymptoms first appear in their mid-60s. Signs of early-onset Alzheimers begin between a persons 30s and mid-60s.
The first symptoms of Alzheimers vary from person to person. Memory problems are typically one of the first signs of cognitive impairment related to Alzheimers disease. Decline in non-memory aspects of cognition, such as word-finding, vision/spatial issues, and impaired reasoning or judgment, may also signal the very early stages of Alzheimers disease. And some people may be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. As the disease progresses, people experience greater memory loss and other cognitive difficulties.
Alzheimers disease progresses in several stages: preclinical, mild , moderate, and severe .
Loss Of Written Or Spoken Words
Others may notice that an older individual is having problems carrying on a conversation because the person is losing words. Rather than using a word for something, the individual may describe the object instead. This issue may also occur in an individuals writing, making a letter or a document impossible to comprehend.
What Are Options For Further Assessment And Diagnosis
If a primary care doctor suspects mild cognitive impairment or possible Alzheimers, he or she may refer you to a specialist who can provide a detailed diagnosis, or you may decide to go to a specialist for further assessment. You can find specialists through memory clinics and centers or through local organizations or referral services. Specialists include:
- Geriatricians, who manage health care in older adults. They know how the body changes as it ages and whether symptoms indicate a serious problem.
- Geriatric psychiatrists, who specialize in the mental and emotional problems of older adults and can assess memory and thinking problems
- Neurologists, who specialize in abnormalities of the brain and central nervous system and can conduct and review brain scans
- Neuropsychologists, who can conduct tests of memory and thinking
Memory clinics and centers, including Alzheimers Disease Research Centers, offer teams of specialists who work together to diagnose the problem. Tests often are done at the clinic or center, which can speed up diagnosis.
You may also want to get a second opinion. Diagnosis of memory and thinking problems can be challenging. Subtle signs and symptoms may be overlooked or unclear. Getting a second opinion helps confirm the diagnosis. Most doctors understand the benefit of a second opinion and will share your records if you permit. A specialist can refer you to another doctor for a second opinion, or you may decide to find one yourself.
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Getting An Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis At Bwh
An Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis begins with comprehensive evaluations that may include:
- Neurological exams to determine what physical capabilities might be impacted.
- Mental state exams to assess cognitive abilities like memory, language, attention, reasoning, and visual/spatial functioning. This exam may also look at psychological issues around mood and behavior.
- Neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric assessments depending on the patient’s history and initial evaluation, a neurologist may refer the patient to other team members for more comprehensive cognitive testing.
- Brain imaging to identify conditions like strokes or tumors that may be affecting memory. Brain imaging can also detect brain atrophy or shrinkage, and a PET scan may be used to help distinguish an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis from diagnosis of other neurodegenerative conditions.
- Blood tests may be used to help rule out brain dysfunction due to metabolic and endocrine disorders or infectious diseases.
- Spinal fluid tests to measure abnormal proteins in the spinal fluid that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease and to rule out infection or inflammation.
Support For Patients And Caregivers
A 2012 study found that nearly half of all unpaid caregivers for Alzheimers patients are under the age of 50 and as many as 68% are children, children-in-law or grandchildren. That means the majority of unpaid caregivers are not yet retired, often have full-time jobs and many have families of their own, putting enormous stress on themselves when taking care of a loved one.
Patient care isnt particularly complicated, but caregivers looking after someone with Alzheimers undergo a variety of life changes as the people they love slowly deteriorate. Theres sometimes a stigma attached to a person battling Alzheimers that caregivers sometimes give in to, opting to protect their loved one from strangers or handle everything on their own.
Caregivers should know that a number of support options are available to help with everything from understanding how to care for their loved one to helping with everyday tasks like shopping for groceries, preparing meals and picking up prescriptions.
Caregivers should also understand that they need to take care of themselves as well and understand their own physical and emotional limits. Know what help is available, what these resources can do and when to ask for assistance.
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Early Symptoms Of Dementia
Although the early signs vary, common early symptoms of dementia include:
- memory problems, particularly remembering recent events
- increasing confusion
- apathy and withdrawal or depression
- loss of ability to do everyday tasks.
Sometimes, people fail to recognise that these symptoms indicate that something is wrong. They may mistakenly assume that such behaviour is a normal part of the ageing process. Symptoms may also develop gradually and go unnoticed for a long time. Also, some people may refuse to act, even when they know something is wrong.
How Alzheimers Disease Progresses
An individuals abilities deteriorate over time, although the progression varies from person to person.
As Alzheimers disease affects different areas of the brain, specific functions or abilities are lost. Short-term memory is often the first to be affected, but as the disease progresses, long-term memory is also lost. The disease also affects many of the brains other functions and consequently language, attention, judgement and many other aspects of behaviour are affected.
Some abilities remain, although these lessen as Alzheimers disease progresses. People living with advancing dementia may keep their senses of touch and hearing, and also respond to emotion even in the advanced stages of the condition.
At the end stages of Alzheimers disease many people become immobile and dependent, requiring extensive care.
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According To The Alzheimers Association There Are Seven Stages Of Alzheimers:
Symptoms Of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Some people have a condition called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. It can be an early sign of Alzheimers. But, not everyone with MCI will develop Alzheimers disease. People with MCI can still take care of themselves and do their normal activities. MCI memory problems may include:
- Losing things often
- Forgetting to go to events or appointments
- Having more trouble coming up with words than other people the same age
Learn more about Alzheimer’s disease from MedlinePlus.
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Treatment And Management Options
At present there is no cure for Alzheimers disease and no treatment can stop the condition progressing. However, medications can help stabilise or slow the decline in memory and thinking abilities. Drugs may also be prescribed for secondary symptoms such as agitation or depression, or to improve sleep. Non-drug therapies can be beneficial, such as staying active and socially connected, and managing stress.
Talking to a counsellor or psychologist is important to help manage changes in behaviour and mood.
Occupational therapy can help improve everyday functioning at home.
At all stages of Alzheimers disease, treatments and support services are available to reduce the impact of symptoms, to ensure the best possible quality of life for every person living with the condition.
What Is Dementia
Dementia is a term for various symptoms associated with brain cell damage. The term does not refer to a specific disease. Instead, it is a general term used to describe a variety of common symptoms, such as:
- Impaired thinking skills
- Reduced ability to reason
- Issues with visual perception
There are several different types of dementia, and many are a normal part of aging. Some forms of dementia may be reversed, as in the case of drug interaction or vitamin deficiency. The most common types of dementia include:
- Alzheimers disease
- Lewy body dementia occurs when abnormal clumps of protein form on the brains cortex
- Frontotemporal dementia occurs when a person loses nerve cells in the front and sides of their brain, causing personality and behavior changes
- Vascular dementia occurs when theres not enough blood getting to the brain
- Parkinsons disease develops in many people with Parkinsons disease, resulting in a loss of cognitive ability
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease develops when a protein called prion folds into an odd shape, damaging other brain cells
- Huntingtons disease is caused by an inherited gene that affects the central area of the brain, causing a decline in thinking, movement, and emotions
- Mixed dementia is diagnosed when a person has more than one type of dementia
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When To See A Gp
If you’re worried about your memory or think you may have dementia, it’s a good idea to see a GP.
If you’re worried about someone else’s memory problems, encourage them to make an appointment and perhaps suggest that you go along with them.
Memory problems are not just caused by dementia they can also be caused by depression, stress, medicines or other health problems.
A GP can carry out some simple checks to try to find out what the cause may be, and they can refer you to a specialist for more tests if necessary.
Read more about diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease.
Page last reviewed: 05 July 2021 Next review due: 05 July 2024
Difficulty Finding The Right Words
Another early symptom of dementia is difficulty with communicating thoughts. A person with dementia may have a hard time explaining something or finding the right words to express themselves. They may also stop in the middle of a sentence and not know how to continue.
Having a conversation with a person who has dementia can be challenging, and it may take longer than usual for them to express their thoughts or feelings.
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Common Form Of Dementia
The research is published in the Nature Portfolio Journal, Communications Medicine, and funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and the Medical Research Council.
Alzheimers disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting over half a million people in the UK. Although most people with Alzheimers disease develop it after the age of 65, people under this age can develop it too. The most frequent symptoms of dementia are memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem solving and language.
Doctors currently use a raft of tests to diagnose Alzheimers disease, including memory and cognitive tests and brain scans. The scans are used to check for protein deposits in the brain and shrinkage of the hippocampus, the area of the brain linked to memory. All of these tests can take several weeks, both to arrange and to process.
The new approach requires just one of these a magnetic resonance imaging brain scan taken on a standard 1.5 Tesla machine, which is commonly found in most hospitals.
The researchers adapted an algorithm developed for use in classifying cancer tumours, and applied it to the brain. They divided the brain into 115 regions and allocated 660 different features, such as size, shape and texture, to assess each region. They then trained the algorithm to identify where changes to these features could accurately predict the existence of Alzheimers disease.
Stages Of Alzheimers Disease
Some features of Alzheimers disease are commonly classified into three stages, or phases. Not all these features will be present in every person, and they might occur at different stages.
Mild Alzheimers disease
Sometimes this stage is only apparent in hindsight. The onset of Alzheimers disease is usually gradual and it is often impossible to identify exactly when it began.
Someone might:
- have difficulty shopping or preparing meals.
Moderate Alzheimers disease
At this stage, the impacts of the condition are more apparent and prevalent. A person may experience significant challenges to their independence and require daily support.
Someone might:
- be forgetful of current and recent events, although generally remember the distant past, even if details may be forgotten or confused
- often be confused regarding time and place
- become lost more easily
- forget the names of family or friends, or confuse family members
- forget saucepans or kettles left heating on the stove
- be less able to perform simple calculations
- show poor judgement and make poor decisions
- see or hear things that are not there or become suspicious of others
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What Are The Symptoms Of Early
For most people with early-onset Alzheimer disease, the symptoms closely mirror those of other forms of Alzheimer disease.
Early symptoms:
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Withdrawal from work and social situations
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Changes in mood and personality
Later symptoms:
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Severe mood swings and behavior changes
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Deepening confusion about time, place, and life events
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Suspicions about friends, family, or caregivers
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Trouble speaking, swallowing, or walking
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Severe memory loss
There Is Still No Definitive Formula For A Cure But Can It Be Helped To Prevent The Rapid Development Of The Disease
Alzheimers is a complex disease and there is currently no cure. But we do have several treatments that can help people maintain their brain function, manage behavioral symptoms, and slow, delay or prevent the disease, which is why it is important to have an early diagnosis and medical follow-up with a neurologist.
It is known, for example, that lifestyle can modify the course of the disease and delay the onset of its symptoms. There is evidence that regular physical exercise, a Mediterranean diet or leisure activities that involve stimulating challenges are protective factors against the development of Alzheimers disease. In relation to the effect of stress, there is growing evidence that certain meditation practices such as mindfulness could help the brain to function better.
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How Do Doctors Diagnose Alzheimers
Theres no single test to diagnose Alzheimers. In addition to a physical examination, the doctor will ask about your medical history and may order lab work such as blood and urine tests to rule out other causes of symptoms you are experiencing, like medication side effects.
They may also do cognitive testing, which involves asking a series of questions to test and assess memory, focus, problem-solving, counting and language skills.
In some circumstances, brain imaging tools a CT scan, PET scan or MRI — may be used to determine if there are any physical changes in the structure of the brain tissue or high levels of beta-amyloid, a protein that builds up as plaque as brain tissue degenerates. This buildup is a bellwether for Alzheimers.
How To Spot Early Signs Of Alzheimers Disease
Memory, judgment, reasoning and language skills are all important cognitive functions that falter when Alzheimers disease takes hold. Alzheimers is a form of degenerative dementia that eventually affects a persons ability to function on their own. But how can we tell if a slip-up is just a natural mistake or an early sign of something bigger and more worrisome?
Once these functions decline so much that they start negatively affecting daily life, its time to pay attention. Being aware of these first signs can help you identify if the memory changes that you or a loved one are experiencing are simply a normal part of aging, or a sign of something more serious.
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Recognizing Telling Signs Of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is often difficult to detect, as its manifestations are initially subtle and occasional. Additionally, it can be confused with several other health conditions or problems . At times, it is the affected person himself/herself that notices that something isn’t right other times it is someone close to him/her.
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Who Gets Alzheimers Disease
Anyone can develop Alzheimers disease, but it is more common in older age.
Genetics, lifestyle and health factors are associated with an increased risk of developing dementia.
In a few cases, Alzheimers disease is inherited, caused by a genetic mutation. This is called familial Alzheimers disease, with symptoms occurring at a relatively young age. This is usually when someone is in their 50s, but sometimes younger.
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