Identifying Alzheimer’s: 11 early signs and symptoms to watch for

Identifying Alzheimer’s: 11 early signs and symptoms to watch for

According to expert, dementia is a syndrome consisting of a loss of several separable but overlapping intellectual abilities and presents in several different combinations. Check early symptoms as per doctor

The earliest signs of dementia caused by degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease may be so subtle as to escape the notice of the most discerning physician. (Image: Freepik)

New Delhi: India’s population is expected to touch 20 crore in 2031 and with this, there is a rising concern and demand for ways to tackle the increasing cases of Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia which can damage memory and slowly reduce the quality of life.

Dr Bharath Kumar Surisetti, Consultant Neuro Physician and Movement Disorder Specialist, Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad shared with News9, “Dementia is a syndrome consisting of a loss of several separable but overlapping intellectual abilities and presents in several different combinations. DSM-5 introduces the term“major neurocognitive disorder,” which is analogous to dementia; it represents a significant cognitive decline in at least one cognitive domain that interferes with daily function that is recognised by the individual, informant, or clinician and documented by neuropsychological testing.”

The earliest signs of dementia caused by degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease may be so subtle as to escape the notice of the most discerning physician.

Here are the early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia:

1) Lack of initiative or lack of interest in work, neglect of routine tasks, or abandonment of pleasurable pursuits/hobbies

2) Gradual development of forgetfulness is the most prominent early symptom. Proper names are no longer remembered and cannot be recalled with time. Up to a certain point in the illness, memories of the distant past are relatively well retained at a time when more recently acquired information has been lost (Ribot’s law). Eventually, patients also fail to retain remote memories, recognise their relatives, and even recall the names of their children.

3) Difficulty in balancing a chequebook and making monetary transactions. The patient is easily distracted by every passing incident. The purpose of an errand is forgotten, appointments are not kept, and recent conversations or social events have been overlooked.

4) The patient may ask the same question repeatedly over a day, having failed to retain the answers that were previously given. Tasks that require several steps cannot be accomplished, and all but the simplest directions cannot be followed.

5) The patient may get lost, even along habitual routes of travel. Wandering, pacing, and other aimless activities are common while other patients sit placidly for hours. Day-to-day events are not recalled, and perseveration or persistence in speech, action, and thought becomes evident.

6) Emotional instability, like unreasonable outbursts of anger, easy tearfulness, or aggressiveness, easy fluctuation from laughter to tears on slight provocation. A change in mood becomes apparent, deviating more toward depression than elation. Apathy is common. Some patients are irascible; a few are cheerful and facetious. The direction of the mood change is said to depend on the patient’s previous personality rather than on the character of the disease.

7) Physical symptoms like dizziness, vague mental “fogginess,” and nondescript headaches. The patient’s inability to give a coherent account of his symptoms bears witness to the presence of dementia.

8) Sleep disturbances, especially insomnia, are prominent in some cases and a particular disorder relating to the acting out of dreams during REM sleep marks some degenerative dementia

9) Loss of social graces and indifference to social customs may occur, but usually later in the course of illness. Judgment becomes impaired, and suspiciousness or frank paranoia may develop-for example, relating to being robbed by employees or to the infidelity of a spouse.

10) Visual and auditory hallucinations, sometimes quite vivid.

11) The patient’s appearance and the physical examination yield highly informative data; the patient may be unkempt and unbathed. He may look bewildered, as though lost, or his expression may be vacant, and he does not maintain a lively interest or participate in the interview. There is a kind of psychic inertia. Movements may be slightly slow, sometimes suggesting an oncoming Parkinsonian syndrome.