Memory loss is the most common symptom of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease. But experts say there are other signs that could indicate early brain changes. These are particularly important for types of dementia where memory impairment is not the main symptom.
As with occasional memory lapses, these problems can be blamed on other changes related to age or health (or a bad day), so experts stress that they are not always a sign of seriousness. mind But, especially when they happen together, they could be a sign that it’s time to see a doctor, he writes The New York Times.
Financial difficulties
People with dementia can have financial problems many years before they start to lose their memory or other cognitive symptoms. They may forget to pay their bills on time, for example, or not stick to their budget.
“One of the reasons that financial mismanagement can be a sensitive symptom is precisely because it is so complicated,” said Dr. Winston Chiong, professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco. on top of that, finance is probably one of the first areas where cognitive ability cracks start to appear.
Poor financial decisions are a particular concern for those with frontotemporal dementia, a rare form of dementia in which judgment is impaired in the early stages of the disease. Some people with this condition may make large, impulsive purchases. Others may trust people they wouldn’t normally trustincreasing the risk of being cheated.
“People with frontotemporal depression are less aware of possible negative consequences,” said Dr. Chiong. Because of this, they may be more open to different types of treatment, or they may be -wasteful or careless with money.
Sleep problems
Sleep disturbances can become more common as people get older, and older adults tend to fall asleep more easily and go to bed and wake up a little earlier than before – yes this is completely normal. But if there are big changes in someone’s sleeping habits, starting their mornings at 3:00 am or not being able to stay awake during the day, it could be a sign of dementia.
“There are certain brain regions, such as the brainstem, that are extremely important for regulating sleep cycles. the first to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease“said Joe Winer, a professor of neurology and neural sciences at Stanford University. So years before the first signs of memory problems, changes in sleep patterns could occur, he said.
A change that may occur especially at dementia with Lewy bodies – another type of progressive brain disorder – that a person may begin to act out their dreams during sleep. This is also true of Parkinson’s disease, which is associated with dementia with Lewy bodies.
Our muscles are usually paralyzed while we are in REM sleep, when we tend to have our most vivid dreams. But in both of these neurodegenerative disorders, toxic proteins attack cells in the brainstem that control sleep paralysis.
This situation is called REM sleep behavior disorderit’s not just about sleep or sleep, said Dr. Ronald Postuma, professor of neurology and neurosurgery at McGill University. At his clinic, patients usually come after “their partner reported that they were screaming, screaming, screaming while they were dreaming.”
Personal changes
In a study published last yearresearchers found that people with dementia experienced a slight decline in extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness before showing signs of cognitive impairment. These personality changes accelerated as more depressive symptoms emerged, said Angelina Sutin, a professor of behavioral science and social therapy at Florida State University, who led the study.
Although the research was conducted using a standard personality test, there are some changes in daily behavior that you can look out for. With a decrease in extraversion, for example, a person becomes more attractive or narrows their social circle.
Some of these personality changes can occur spontaneously due to damage to the brain. In frontotemporal dementia, for example, decrease in happinessin which the person becomes less confident and less friendly, linked to a smaller brain size in the frontal cortex – a key part of the condition.
In other cases, changes may occur due to cognitive symptoms. For example, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may become less diligent, become increasingly disorganized, or have difficulty completing work and household tasks as their memory declines.
Driving problems
Along with managing finances, driving is one of the most complex cognitive behaviors that people perform every day. Ganesh Babulal, associate professor of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis, in his research that problems behind the wheel can appear years before they appear elsewhere.
A negative mental impact can lead to minor scratches on the car due to parking mistakes, hitting other cars or avoiding them at the last minute, or not obeying stop signs or red traffic lights. People may also brake or accelerate suddenly, or change gears too quickly. As a result, these people may not drive as much – especially at night, in bad weather or during rush hour – or they may be reluctant to drive. driving with children or other people in the car, explained Dr. Babulal.
In fact, such road accidents can be caused by manifestations that occur with aging, such as vision problems, neuropathy or side effects of medications. But if you notice worrying changes in someone’s abilities, you need to have a serious discussion about giving up driving with them.
Lose smell
The parts of the brain that control smell, known as the olfactory system, are among the first areas affected by Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. This is also the case with Parkinson’s disease. There are many people with these conditions they begin to lose their sense of smell years, or even decades, before other symptoms appear.
Unlike hearing and vision loss, which can be risk factors for dementia but are not thought to be caused by the disease itself, loss of smell appears to be one of the most common symptoms. early onset of neurodegeneration.
Different types of brain conditions seem to affect the sense of smell in different ways. For example, people with Alzheimer’s tend to be able to detect a smell, but they can be wrong. “They say, ‘What a good smell. It smells so sweet. It must be gasoline,'” said Dr. Postuma. In contrast, those with Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies ” often doubt that they smell anything.” the specialist.
TD
2024-10-05 16:09:00
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