The Skinny:
Dementia isn’t an inevitable part of aging despite what many now think. But it is a growing concern. One report indicates that perhaps 10 percent of American adults over 65 suffer from dementia while another 20 percent deal with mild cognitive impairment. There are no absolute cures for these problems, but early detection makes management and control much easier. However, identifying dementia is more difficult than many suspect. Obviously, memory loss is its hallmark symptom. And it’s certainly valid because up to 80 percent of all dementias are due to Alzheimer’s, a disease where memory problems are central. But other signs may appear along with memory loss or even before it even appears. The troubling concern is that these symptoms may be overlooked, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatments. Here are six indications of cognitive issues that could mean someone is at risk.
The Slate:
Personality Changes
One potential clue that early dementia is at hand occurs when patients actually become more like themselves. This could be someone becoming more introverted, extroverted or bossy. Other possible personality changes include a loss of resilience, initiative and creativity. More apathy, flattened emotions, social withdrawal, loss of interest in favored activities, paranoid, delusional thinking, inappropriate euphoria or grandiosity and insensitivity to others may also signal dementia is taking hold. All of this can be accompanied by defense mechanisms such as denial, projection, repression, regression and rationalization.
Communication Problems
One of the earliest signs of dementia is language-related issues. This may take the form of increased gestures and workaround words, all of which may signal incipient aphasia or problems understanding and finding words. Additional troubling language issues include repeating words and phrases, using meaningless, jumbled-up words and vague, nonsensical or incomplete communications. Reading and writing skills may also deteriorate.
Deteriorating Driving Habits
Driving is a high-risk complex behavior that involves different parts of the brain, including sensory processing, spatial orientation, visualizing a route, prolonged concentration and quick reflexes. If driving habits take an extended turn for the worse, cognitive issues may be taking hold. Possible issues include repeated instances of getting lost, running stop signs and red lights, too-rapid braking, acceleration and navigating turns, near-misses and a rising number of scratches or fender-benders.
Falls
Falls can result from cognitive and or perceptual issues or problems with balance and coordination. A study compiling data from over 2 million older adults found that having been injured in a fall is associated with a 21 percent greater chance of later being diagnosed with dementia. Besides being a possible indicator of early dementia, falls can add traumatic brain injury to existing problems.
Loss of Smell
Anosmia, the inability to detect or properly identify odors, can serve as a neurological canary in the coal mine. It’s among the earliest symptoms of neurodegenerative problems, often occurring decades before other symptoms. It is also associated with a loss of brain volume. Perhaps not surprisingly, the olfactory system, one of the most primitive ones in human brains, is among the first areas damaged by Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Long COVID Symptoms
Long-term olfactory dysfunction coupled with cognitive and emotional disturbances from COVID-19 may be the first signs of delayed onset dementia from neurodegeneration. Early damage to olfactory and limbic brain regions suggests a pattern of degeneration similar to that seen in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
Eyes Up:
Are there other early dementia signals missed on this list? Let us know at info@wellwellusa.com.
WellWell editors independently identify services and products of interest. If readers purchase anything through the associated links, WellWell may earn a commission, which goes to support our work. Learn More.
