As we grow older, many of us begin to worry about our cognitive abilites and the fear of developing dementia. There are several types of dementia and knowing what some warning signs can be helpful when evaluating changes in your own self or in a family member. Being aware of these signs can help you catch developing dementia early which may allow you to slow disease progression.
Alzheimer’s Dementia
This type of dementia is the most well known and most diagnosed. Although memory change is often the focus of dementia, Alzheimer’s can present itself in very different ways. For some people, they may begin to make mistakes with their medication management. You may notice they begin to repeat themselves in conversation or often struggle to find the words they want to say. Another sign that may go unnoticed is that someone may start to get into minor car accidents due to changes in their perception of space, forgetting routes they take, or getting lost because they forget where they were headed in the first place.
Lastly, unlike other types of dementia, individuals with Alzheimer’s usually do not think they have problems with their thinking. They may become defensive about changes that seem obvious to others.
Lewy Body Dementia (LBD)
Lewy Body Dementia is the second most diagnosed dementia, and is closely related to Parkinson’s disease. What makes it different from Parkinson’s is that with LBD, cognitive changes begin before noticeable changes in motor movements, or they begin within the same year as motor changes that may include tremors, rigidity, or slowness in walking.
Some soft signs of LBD include fluctuating alertness during the day. This can look like a person starting to take naps more frequently than in the past, and they may seem tired despite said naps. You may notice symptoms of REM sleep disorder which causes individuals to move around in their sleep and having increased nightmares. They may also begin to develop visual hallucinations of well-formed things, like people or animals they have lost. Other soft signs include changes to autonomic function such as having constipation, sweating more frequently, or feeling cold more often.
Beginning to have issues with balance may lead to more frequent falls. Another soft sign of LBD is a reduced sense of smell.
Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)
Frontotemporal Dementia has the widest variety of potential initial symptoms. Behavior changes are a key marker of FTD. These changes usually occur earlier in age (40 to 65) versus Alzheimer’s, where symptoms can present slightly later.
Behavior changes can be more impulsive such as spending excessive money or developing addictions to porn, gambling, or video games later in life that are not consistent with past behaviors.
FTD can also make a person seem more withdrawn. They may stop participating in aspects of life they used to enjoy. They may talking as much in conversation, show childlike characteristics, and demonstrate a lack of empathy toward others. These changes can often be mistaken for psychiatric issues like depression or mania, but the key here is that these behaviors are new in older age.
What to do if you or a family member exhibits these soft signs
The biggest thing to remember is that just because you have a lapse in your memory one day, forget a name on occasion, or have trouble finding the word you want to say in conversation from time to time, it does not always mean you are developing dementia. Many factors in our everyday lives can impact our thinking sporadically such as poor sleep, not eating enough, getting too much sun exposure, missing a medication dose, having an infection, etc.
If you show any of the signs discussed above, you should seek a trusted primary care doctor, neurologist, or neuropsychologist to assess the root cause of the change. It is also important to remember that early detection can lead to a better and safer quality of life and can allow for important decisions about someone’s end-of-life care before they lose their capacity to make those decisions themselves.
There are many different types of dementia, each with unique early symptoms and soft signs. If you are worried about yourself or someone you love, seek medical attention.
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