Subtle Signs Of Dementia
When it comes to naming dementia symptoms, memory loss, confusion, and losing track of dates and time are usually at the top of the list. Although these are well-known dementia symptoms, there are also lesser-known signs that are so subtle that they can be easily mistaken for normal aging.
Unfortunately, overlooking these symptoms and attributing them solely to aging can delay diagnosis and treatment of dementia.
Some of the earliest noticeable warning signs of dementia include:
1. Trouble with visual skills and spatial awareness
Visual awareness involves how we see what is around us. Spatial awareness involves our ability to understand our relation to objects and people around us. This can involve a change in accurately judging distances or understanding directions.
“A common way this presents is difficulty navigating a previously familiar route or needing GPS directions to a route that was previously known,” Dr. Arif Dalvi, a neurologist and physician chief of the Movement Disorders Program at Delray Medical Center, explained to HuffPost.
When it comes to driving, people in the early stages of dementia also have difficulty navigating turns, changing lanes, and parking. They also find it harder to navigate normal activities, such as moving without bumping into things or knocking things over. There are also problems with using stairs, which can increase the risk of falling.
2. Trouble with speech
It’s a normal part of aging when older adults struggle to find the right words during a conversation or forget a familiar name, especially if it’s on the tip of the tongue. However, if this happens regularly, it could be an early sign of dementia.
“Difficulty with language, including word-finding difficulty, incorrect sentence construction, or difficulty with self-expression, can present well before the loss of memory,” Dr. Dalvi said.
It’s easy to ignore this behavior and, once again, blame it on getting older. However, it’s important to pay attention to it if it becomes a pattern.
3. A Sudden Change In Mood and Personality
“An abrupt change in personality or mood without an underlying explanation should also raise a red flag,” Dr. Dalvi said.
This is especially noticeable in someone who was once outgoing, conversational, and friendly, but then loses interest in being around friends, family, and work, and stops attending social events.
Other Lesser-Known Symptoms
Dr. Stanley Appel, a neurologist and director of the Ann Kimball & John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics at Houston Methodist, told HuffPost that other subtle symptoms include difficulty completing familiar tasks, increased sensitivity to noise, and changes in taste and smell.
Dr. Appel noted that some symptoms resemble other neurological issues.
“Some types of dementia, such as Lewy body dementia, can cause hallucinations or delusions,” Dr. Appel explained to HuffPost. “It’s crucial to note that hallucinations can also result from other causes, and any unusual symptoms should be discussed with a health care provider.”
What is Dementia?
Dementia is a general term for cognitive decline that involves the loss of brain functions such as thinking, remembering, and reasoning. With dementia, memory loss and other symptoms worsen over time and become so severe that they disrupt daily living activities.
There are many types of dementia, but the most common form is Alzheimer’s disease. An estimated 6.7 million Americans age 65 and older are living with this progressive disorder that damages the brain and causes an ongoing decline in thinking, memory, and other cognitive skills.
Treatment Options
While there is no cure for dementia, treatment options are available for different forms of dementia. For example, Dr. Appel said the Food and Drug Administration has approved Aduhelm (aducanumab) and Leqembi (lecanemab), two new drugs that target the buildup of amyloid beta plaques in the brain, a distinctive characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.
Amyloid beta plaques are sticky clumps of amyloid protein that accumulate outside of nerve cells. Amyloid and tau are two proteins that researchers say contribute to dementia by disrupting communication between brain cells, causing inflammation, and cell damage.
“Although the approval of Aduhelm has been controversial, some studies have shown that it can slow cognitive decline in certain patients,” Dr. Appel said. “On the other hand, clinical trials have shown that Leqembi can slow cognitive decline in certain patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.”
In addition to using new medications, Dr. Appel said researchers are exploring other innovative treatment methods. For example, some investigators are using advances in gene therapy to create new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
“These breakthroughs in medical science offer hope for individuals with dementia and their families,” Dr. Appel said.
In the meantime, doctors are using existing methods to care for their patients.
“Traditional treatment options, such as medication to manage symptoms, recommendations for lifestyle changes, and referrals to support services like occupational and speech therapy, are vital in maintaining cognitive function and overall well-being,” Dr. Appel said.
Doctors Recommend Dementia Screening
Since the incidence of dementia increases with age, Dr. Dalvi recommends that people 65 and older get a simple dementia screening, such as a mini-cognitive assessment.
With these screenings, doctors can identify reversible causes of memory loss, such as vitamin B12 deficiency or hypothyroidism.
“Screening for hearing loss at this age is also important as it is estimated that 1 out of 9 dementias can be explained on the basis of age-related hearing loss,” Dr. Dalvi told HuffPost.
Despite the advances in treatment and efforts to educate the public about dementia, there is still a stigma attached to developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
“There should be no stigma associated with screening for dementia,” Dr. Appel told HuffPost. “An early and accurate diagnosis allows a plan to be put in place for either treating or slowing the cause of dementia.”
Source Links:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/signs-dementia-symptoms-goog_l_690cc915e4b027afb3225b8c
