Listed below are the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
A 2022 study found that 10% of Americans over the age of 65 have dementia or dementia, and 22% have mild cognitive impairment, one of the earliest signs of the disease.
An estimated 6.5 million Americans over age 65 have the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and experts believe the number will more than double. “By 2050, about 13 million Americans will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease if we do not have a drug that slows down the course of the disease,” says neurologist, MD James.
But we know that the brain changes seen in this disease typically occur many years before the onset of symptoms, so we are starting to think we can identify people at high risk of going into a state of memory loss and other changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Although there is no cure for dementia, certain lifestyle factors can positively influence the condition. “Everything that is good for the heart will be good for the brain,” says Dr. James. “Therefore, physical exercise, proper nutrition are necessary. We are increasingly seeing that people who do not lose social activity and continue to actively participate in other areas of life cope with the disease much better, and it can even slow down the onset of the earliest symptoms,
So it is important to continue to lead a normal life – being active as much as possible, going out of the house, socializing with people. which Alzheimer’s disease begins, one of the first symptoms, in addition to memory loss, is a loss of interest in active life.And therefore, if someone from your environment – a spouse or relative, not only suffers from depression, but also becomes more and more withdrawn, it would be good to see if he or she has memory loss, and it would probably be useful to involve them in some kind of activity.”
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great importance for the treatment and support of patients is early detection and diagnosis. “The sooner Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia are diagnosed, the sooner people and their families can receive information, care and support,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says. “Data show that many Americans are not diagnosed on time.” and don’t report it.” Experts name the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, which are listed below.
Moderate cognitive impairment
People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are fully able to live independently, but experience problems with memory loss and confusion. They may forget where they should be or what they should be doing. “It’s exhausting what they have to go through to remember and do something,” says Laura Baker, professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “Okay, let’s look in my diary. Wow, I forgot to write in this diary. I’ll look in another one. I can’t find this diary. I lost my phone. Where’s the key? I can’t find the key.” thoughts and succeed, but it’s very hard.”
Studies show that 10-20% of people over the age of 65 with mild cognitive impairment later develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Early diagnosis is crucial, because sometimes MCI can be caused by some kind of deviation in the state of the body, which can be corrected or eliminated. “For example, someone might have thyroid dysfunction. It’s treatable and then they get better,” says Carolyn, MD, a neuroscientist at Yale University who specializes in cognitive and behavioral conditions. including dementia.” Or some of them may have pronounced manifestations of sleep apnea syndrome, which is terrifying in terms of how severe cognitive impairment this can cause.”
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Memory loss
One of the earliest and most common signs of Alzheimer’s disease is progressive memory loss. “The earliest symptoms of the disease are usually associated with short-term memory loss, such as the inability to remember conversations or appointments,” says Laura Goldstein, MD, a neuroscientist at Northwestern Medicine. “Regular exercise can protect against age-related cognitive decline.” , healthy eating, continued cognitive and social activities. Management of vascular risk factors such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes can also help. In addition, the identification and treatment of depression can play a significant role.”
“Right now, studies show that people who lead healthy lifestyles have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease,” says Marla Bruns, MD, a neurologist at the Disability Treatment Center. UnityMemory Center at Rochester Regional Health. “A healthy lifestyle includes regular physical activity, a balanced and nutritious diet, limiting alcohol consumption, and not smoking.”
Changes in Character
A sign of Alzheimer’s disease may be personality changes of unknown etiology. “Often when people develop Alzheimer’s, their character traits seem to increase, become more pronounced,” says neurologist, MD Ronald Petersen (Ronald Petersen). “That is, if this is a truly pleasant person, and he was quite amiable and benevolent for most of his life, these qualities are preserved even during illness.Sometimes it happens that people change in the opposite direction.
That is, a nice little old woman develops an illness throughout her life, and then she starts to swear, like a sailor, using words that she had never spoken throughout her life.If the pathological process mostly affects, say, the frontal lobes of the brain, then they are involved in human behavior, manifestations of his character, his positive and negative personality traits, in processes of inhibition, disinhibition.If this part of the brain is affected, then all these character traits, all this behavior is starting to change.
“A person’s recognition of serious changes in their behavior or the behavior of someone close to them should serve as the basis for a conversation with a primary care provider. Again, getting help as soon as possible can significantly change the situation for the better – both for the person himself , suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and for his friends and relatives.”
Difficulties with daily tasks
A symptom of Alzheimer’s disease can be difficulty performing tasks that were previously easy and/or permanent. “Another part of the brain that is often affected by this disease is called the parietal lobe,” says Tianxu Xia, MD. higher cognitive functions, such as counting, concentration, and higher mental functions—purposeful regulation of behavior.Therefore, in addition to memory problems, an Alzheimer’s patient may or may not experience difficulty with movement, orientation in space, word selection, planning, and decision complex day-to-day tasks, such as managing one’s own finances and medical treatment.”
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Depression
Another symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is depression and mood swings. “Our study showed that even small amounts of amyloid in the brain can affect the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognition,” says Jennifer, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and geriatric psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital. raises the possibility that depressive symptoms will become a target in clinical trials to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Further research is needed in this area.”
“Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include progressive loss of short-term and long-term memory, confused thinking and disorientation, changes in fluency in speaking or writing, reduced ability to pay attention, impaired ability to think critically and reason, which causes questionable decisions. Also of note is such a symptom as mood changes, such as apathy, anxiety, and depression, which can lead to social isolation, says Dr. Verna Porter of the Pacific Brain Health Center, director of the Dementia, Alzheimer’s and Neurocognitive Disorders Program. contribute to an increase in the manifestation of such cognitive impairments as confused thinking and forgetfulness.
