Early Signs Of Dementia Vs Typical Aging
While some changes in cognition and memory are a typical part of aging, other symptoms indicate you should talk with your doctor. Here are 10 early signs and symptoms of dementia from the Alzheimers Association:
A common factor in all these symptoms is a change from the persons usual behavior or baseline. For example, if someone has always relied on reminder notes, continuing to do so in their older years is not necessarily indicative of dementia.
Early Sign Of Dementia
Many signs of dementia begin small and progress with time. Noticing dementia symptoms at their onset can help you or your loved one get proper medical care right away. Keep a look out for the following early-onset dementia signs:
- Problems with short term memory
- Losing track of your wallet or purse
- Difficulty planning or preparing meals
- Forgetting to pay bills on time
If you notice any of these symptoms in yourself or others, it’s best to make a doctor’s appointment.
Hidden Signs And Risk Factors For Dementia
According to Dr. Schulz, “Depression that is of long duration and untreated appears to be a risk. So, we suggest treating someone with depression as much as possible . It’s less easy to show that treating depression prevents dementia, but we all believe that it is probably true.
Hearing loss often results in a person not hearing conversations, or misunderstanding them. At a minimum, hearing loss contributes to cognitive impairment in dementia. It’s unclear whether hearing loss is a risk factor for dementia, as opposed to just appearing to have it.
Cardiovascular risk factors. We and others have many studies demonstrating that the traditional cardiovascular risk factors also accelerate dementia progression. So, we measure many of them in our Neurocognitive Disorders Center every day. We check cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, blood fat , weight , and others.
Concussions have been in the news the last few years and genuinely seem to increase dementia risk. So, wear a helmet when skiing or biking, wear your seat belt in your car, etc.
Physical and Mental exercise, in the other direction, are thought to be protective from dementia.
Genetics is a currently unmodifiable risk factor, but one that can be significant. The good news is that one can still reduce the risk of even familial dementia by controlling risk factors. But, it will be a while before we can change one’s risk factor genes.”
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Becoming Confused In Familiar Surroundings
Your parent may forget where they are and how they got there. Along with losing track of dates, seasons and the time this is one of the most tell-tale early onset dementia symptoms.
They may also struggle to understand something if its not happening immediately. This is because the mind of someone with dementia is mostly situated in the present and they find it difficult to comprehend the passage of time.
For example, your mum may tell you shes missed you because she thinks she hasnt seen you in a long time, but in reality you visited her last week. Another example includes time passing very slowly in a general sense: ten minutes might seem like an hour, an hour might seem like a day and so on.
This is different to: getting confused about the day of the week but working it out later.
Vascular dementia differs from Alzheimers Disease in that it involves stroke-like symptoms including muscle weakness or partial paralysis.
This type of dementia can also be an after-effect of a stroke or mini stroke.
Vascular dementia symptoms can also include confusion, memory loss, low attention span and difficulty in performing everyday tasks.
What Are The Most Common Types Of Dementia
- Alzheimers disease. This is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of cases. It is caused by specific changes in the brain. The trademark symptom is trouble remembering recent events, such as a conversation that occurred minutes or hours ago, while difficulty remembering more distant memories occurs later in the disease. Other concerns like difficulty with walking or talking or personality changes also come later. Family history is the most important risk factor. Having a first-degree relative with Alzheimers disease increases the risk of developing it by 10 to 30 percent.
- Vascular dementia. About 10 percent of dementia cases are linked to strokes or other issues with blood flow to the brain. Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are also risk factors. Symptoms vary depending on the area and size of the brain impacted. The disease progresses in a step-wise fashion, meaning symptoms will suddenly get worse as the individual gets more strokes or mini-strokes.
- Lewy body dementia. In addition to more typical symptoms like memory loss, people with this form of dementia may have movement or balance problems like stiffness or trembling. Many people also experience changes in alertness including daytime sleepiness, confusion or staring spells. They may also have trouble sleeping at night or may experience visual hallucinations .
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Recognition And Coordination Difficulties
A person showing early signs of dementia may put everyday things in unusual places . They may have difficulty recognising familiar items such as a chair, soap, toothbrush, cutlery, kettle, coffee jar, cooker or fridge.
Signs of a loss of coordination skills can include struggling to undo or do up buttons, to tie or untie shoes and neckties, and to use a hair brush or razor. They may be more subtle, such as putting down a cup of tea too close to the edge of a table or having difficulties lifting a teapot or kettle or using a knife to cut vegetables or fruit.
Difficulty Completing Familiar Tasks
Some people may experience a greater problem with concentration. Routine day-to-day tasks requiring critical thought may take longer as the disease progresses.
The ability to drive safely may also be called into question. If you or a loved one gets lost while driving a commonly traveled route, this may be a symptom of AD.
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Rapid And Unexplained Mood Swings And/or Depression
Mood and personality changes can be associated with early signs of dementia. This could include becoming confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious, and your parent may find themselves getting easily upset in places they feel unsure about.
Some of the dementia symptoms NHS lists include:
- Increased anxiety
- Violent Mood Swings
For example, your parent may appear calm, then visibly upset, and then very angry in a matter of minutes. This is a significant sign of dementia anger and frustration specifically if its unprovoked.
Other physical signs include pacing, obsessing over minor details, agitation, fear, confusion, rage and feeling overwhelmed because theyre trying to make sense of a world thats now confusing to them.
This is different to: more typical age-related behaviours such as becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.
Common Early Symptoms Of Dementia
Different types of dementia can affect people differently, and everyone will experience symptoms in their own way.
However, there are some common early symptoms that may appear some time before a diagnosis of dementia. These include:
- difficulty concentrating
- finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
- struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- being confused about time and place
These symptoms are often mild and may get worse only very gradually. It’s often termed “mild cognitive impairment” as the symptoms are not severe enough to be diagnosed as dementia.
You might not notice these symptoms if you have them, and family and friends may not notice or take them seriously for some time. In some people, these symptoms will remain the same and not worsen. But some people with MCI will go on to develop dementia.
Dementia is not a natural part of ageing. This is why it’s important to talk to a GP sooner rather than later if you’re worried about memory problems or other symptoms.
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Mood And Personality Changes
Sudden changes in personality and mood swings are possible signs of dementia. Your family member could become fearful, paranoid, suspicious, depressed, or anxious.
Increased anger could also be a warning sign of dementia. If someone with dementia gets frustrated or overwhelmed, they could react with aggression. A normally calm, peaceful person who has dementia might:
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Symptoms And Diagnosis Of Early
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the symptoms of early-onset dementia or Alzheimer’s is forgetting important information, having problems remembering the current day or time of year, and having problems engaging in conversations with others. People with dementia might have issues with solving problems such as following a recipe. You also might notice a change in their mood or personality, and a person with dementia may exhibit poor judgment.
Because a single test can’t confirm Alzheimer’s, a diagnosis involves evaluations from several healthcare providers . A doctor will typically conduct a few memory and problem-solving tests, and a neuropsychologist can do some extensive cognitive testing . The doctor also might order CT or MRI scans to look at the brain tissue.
There is no cure for dementia, but memory problems are often treated with medication. Physical activity, cognitive training, and diabetes treatment can delay the progression of dementia.
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Putting Things In The Wrong Place
Losing things or putting things in strange places, and then being unable to retrace steps to find them again is on the official observation list for early signs of dementia.
Sometimes someone else might be accused of stealing which may occur more frequently over time. For example, your dad may insist that a friend keeps stealing his money, whereas its in its regular hiding place.
Other examples that may indicate potential dementia symptoms could include:
- Teabags in the fridge and leaving the milk out
- Toothbrush in the washing basket
- Remote control in the cutlery drawer
- Dirty laundry in the dishwasher
Misplacing or losing items is more common in Alzheimers Disease, rather than vascular dementia. Find out more about the different types of dementia here.
This is different to: more normal age-related behaviours such as losing things but being able to retrace the steps to find them.
What Are The Symptoms Of Dementia
Dementia progresses in stages. The number and severity of the symptoms of dementia will depend on its current stage. The list of early warning signs provided at the beginning of this article basically describes the symptoms of advanced stage dementia as well. As dementia advances from one stage to the next, more signs and symptoms will become evident, they will become more pronounced and they will occur more frequently.
In the final stages of dementia, you can experience hallucinations, lose your ability to talk and need assistance with almost all activities of daily living.
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Screening And Early Detection
The early symptoms of dementia are often recognized by family members or other people close to a person who is having difficulty with everyday tasks such as managing their money, organizing their medications, or shopping.
Screening for dementia is typically done by a primary healthcare provider once the symptoms are recognized. They start by getting a thorough history of the person’s symptoms. A provider will look for other possible non-dementia-related causes of a person’s symptoms, such as side effects of medication, vitamin deficiencies, a head injury, sleep apnea, or depression.
There are several screening tools available for dementia. These tests can be completed in 10 to 15 minutes.
Screening tests for dementia commonly used by primary healthcare providers include:
- Mini-Mental State Examination
Unfortunately, early identification of dementia does not reduce mortality rates. However, it does give people and their families more time to plan for future decline in function.
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Whats The Difference Between Dementia And Alzheimers Disease
Dementia is a description of the state of a persons mental function and not a specific disease. Dementia is an umbrella category describing mental decline thats severe enough to interfere with daily living.
There are many underlying causes of dementia, including Alzheimers disease and Parkinsons disease. Alzheimers disease is the most common underlying cause of dementia.
What Should I Expect As Dementia Progresses
Most forms of dementia are incurable and get worse over time. Although your loved one could be mostly independent for a while, theyll eventually need assistance with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, and cooking. Its also important to remember that their safety could become a concern.
If you anticipate their needs increasing, home care supports families while enabling seniors to continue living at home for as long as possible. Remaining in a familiar place can be especially helpful for people with dementia.
In later stages of dementia, living at home may no longer be an option. Memory care communities are a specialized type of senior living designed to meet the unique needs of someone experiencing memory loss or cognitive decline.
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What Happens To A Persons Brain And Body As Dementia Gets Worse
Unfortunately, many types of dementia are conditions that worsen over time. When your brain doesnt get the nutrients and oxygen it needs, or junk blocks needed communication between the nerve cells of the brain, your brain tissue begins to die.
Alzheimers disease and other types of dementia usually begin with memory loss or lapses in judgment things that can be lived with for a while. As you lose more and more brain function, functions vital to life begin to be affected. Vital functions include breathing, digestion, heart rate and sleep.
In the late stages of dementia, people cant perform the tasks needed to keep their bodies alive. Brain damage and muscle weakness no longer allow even simple, needed movements. You cant communicate, walk, talk, control your bladder or bowels, feed yourself, or chew or swallow food without help.
When you cant care for yourself, move about, eat or drink enough to keep yourself hydrated and nourished, plus have mental decline, you leave yourself vulnerable to other illnesses. Pneumonia is one of these commonly seen illnesses in people with dementia. With a now frail body, a person may not be able to fight infections or even benefit from medication. The persons pain and discomfort may outweigh treatment options that can only offer a short-term benefit.
What Are The Early Signs Of Dementia In Women And Men
Generally, the most common early signs of dementia in men and women are similar. They may include typical symptoms like short-term memory loss, lack of concentration, and difficulty with familiar tasks.
Some types of dementia affect women more often than men and vice versa. Among the common types of dementia, men appear to be more likely than women to have Lewy body dementia and vascular dementia, according to a research review in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience.
However, women are twice as likely to get Alzheimers, the leading cause of dementia. The fact that women simply live longer than men is a main reason theyre more likely to develop Alzheimers. But researchers are also exploring other possible links between sex and gender and the risk of Alzheimers.
Meanwhile, men and women are at equal risk of developing frontotemporal dementia, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Lastly, men and women can have different symptoms depending on the type of dementia. For instance, women with Alzheimers tend to experience depression more, while men are more likely to experience agitation, according to a research review in Psychiatric Times.
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Who Can Diagnose Dementia
Visiting a primary care doctor is often the first step for people who are experiencing changes in thinking, movement, or behavior. However, neurologists doctors who specialize in disorders of the brain and nervous system are often consulted to diagnose dementia. Geriatric psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, and geriatricians may also be able to diagnose dementia. Your doctor can help you find a specialist.
If a specialist cannot be found in your community, contact the nearest medical school neurology department for a referral. A medical school hospital also may have a dementia clinic that provides expert evaluation. You can also visit the Alzheimers Disease Research Centers directory to see if there is an NIA-funded center near you. These centers can help with obtaining a diagnosis and medical management of conditions.
What Are The Different Types Of Dementia
Various disorders and factors contribute to the development of dementia. Neurodegenerative disorders result in a progressive and irreversible loss of neurons and brain functioning. Currently, there are no cures for these diseases.
Types of dementia include:
- Alzheimers disease, the most common dementia diagnosis among older adults. It is caused by changes in the brain, including abnormal buildups of proteins, known as amyloid plaques and tau tangles.
- Frontotemporal dementia, a rare form of dementia that tends to occur in people younger than 60. It is associated with abnormal amounts or forms of the proteins tau and TDP-43.
- Lewy body dementia, a form of dementia caused by abnormal deposits of the protein alpha-synuclein, called Lewy bodies.
- Vascular dementia, a form of dementia caused by conditions that damage blood vessels in the brain or interrupt the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.
- Mixed dementia, a combination of two or more types of dementia. For example, through autopsy studies involving older adults who had dementia, researchers have identified that many people had a combination of brain changes associated with different forms of dementia.
Learn more about how researchers are using neuropathology to address questions and complexities of dementia diseases in Inside the Brain: The Role of Neuropathology in Alzheimers Disease Research.
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