Ten Symptoms of Alzheimer's

Doctors are not good at diagnosing Alzheimer's and neither are spouses or children.....

By Bob DeMarco
The Caregiver

I would like to use the period from Mother's Day through Father's Day to try and spread the word about the symptoms of the early stages of Alzheimer's -- How to Spot Alzheimer's Early.

Most of the Alzheimer's caregivers I know can look back and identify symptoms and behaviors that they now know were early signs of dementia.

One of the things that caregivers learn is that the sooner that Alzheimer's is diagnosed the better the potential outcome. A failure to spot Alzheimer's early can be disastrous.

We have about ten people on this list that were fortunate and were put on the combination of Aricept and Namenda at the time of their diagnosis. All of these persons seem to be functioning quite well.

I am certain that there are exceptions to this experience. Nothing that is currently available as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease is perfect. Sometimes drugs like Aricept and Namenda don't work at all. This does not mean that they shouldn't be investigated and tried.

Eight Types of Dementia Defined

I frequently get asked questions about dementia and its various types. You can learn more about eight types of dementia on the following page.

Source 2008 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. This section provides information about the definition of dementia, the characteristics of specific types of dementia and the symptoms, risk factors for and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. More detailed information on these topics is available at www.alz.org.

Dementia: Definition and Specific Types Dementia is a clinical syndrome of loss or decline in memory and other cognitive abilities. It is caused by various diseases and conditions that result in damaged brain cells. To be classified as dementia, the syndrome must meet the following criteria:

• It must include decline in memory and in at least one of the following cognitive abilities:

1. Ability to generate coherent speech and understand spoken or written language;

2. Ability to recognize or identify objects, assuming intact sensory function;

3. Ability to execute motor activities, assuming intact motor abilities, sensory function and comprehension
of the required task; and

4. Ability to think abstractly, make sound judgments and plan and carry out complex tasks.

• The decline in cognitive abilities must be severe enough to interfere with daily life.
Diff erent types of dementia have been associated with distinct symptom patterns and distinguishing microscopic brain abnormalities. Increasing evidence from long-term epidemiological observation and autopsy studies suggests that many people have microscopic brain abnormalities associated with more than one type of dementia. The symptoms of diff erent types of dementia also overlap and can be further complicated by coexisting medical
conditions.

Table 1 provides information about the most common types of dementia.

Table 1: Common Types of Dementia and Their Typical Characteristics

Type of Dementia Characteristics

Alzheimer’s disease. Most common type of dementia; accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases.

Difficulty remembering names and recent events is often an early clinical
symptom; later symptoms include impaired judgment, disorientation, confusion,
behavior changes and trouble speaking, swallowing and walking.

Hallmark abnormalities are deposits of the protein fragment beta-amyloid
(plaques) and twisted strands of the protein tau (tangles).


Vascular dementia. Considered the second-most-common type of dementia.

Impairment is caused by decreased blood fl ow to parts of the brain, often due
to a series of small strokes that block arteries.

Symptoms often overlap with those of Alzheimer’s, although memory may not
be as seriously aff ected.


Mixed dementia. Characterized by the presence of the hallmark abnormalities of Alzheimer’s
and another type of dementia, most commonly vascular dementia, but also
other types, such as dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia and
normal pressure hydrocephalus.


Dementia with Lewy bodies. Pattern of decline may be similar to Alzheimer’s, including problems with memory, judgment and behavior changes.

Alertness and severity of cognitive symptoms may fl uctuate daily.

Visual hallucinations, muscle rigidity and tremors are common.

Hallmarks include Lewy bodies (abnormal deposits of the protein alphasynuclein)
that form inside nerve cells in the brain.


Parkinson’s disease. Many people who have Parkinson’s disease develop dementia in the later stages of the disease.

The hallmark abnormality is Lewy bodies (abnormal deposits of the protein
alpha-synuclein) that form inside nerve cells in the brain.

Frontotemporal dementia. Involves damage to brain cells, especially in the front and side regions
of the brain.

Typical symptoms include changes in personality and behavior and diffi culty
with language.

No distinguishing microscopic abnormality is linked to all cases.

Pick’s disease, characterized by “Pick’s bodies,” is one type of frontotemporal
dementia.


Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Rapidly fatal disorder that impairs memory and coordination and causes behavior changes.

“Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease” is believed to be caused by consumption of
products from cattle affected by “mad cow disease.”

Caused by the misfolding of prion protein throughout the brain.


Normal pressure hydrocephalus. Caused by the buildup of fl uid in the brain.
Symptoms include difficulty walking, memory loss and inability to control urine.

Can sometimes be corrected with surgical installation of a shunt in the brain to
drain excess fluid.


Mild cognitive impairment is a condition in which a person has problems with memory, language or another
essential cognitive function that are severe enough to be noticeable to others and show up on tests, but not severe enough to interfere with daily life. Some people with mild cognitive impairment go on to develop dementia. For others, the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment do not progress to dementia, and some people who have mild cognitive impairment at one point in time later revert to normal cognitive status.

Alzheimer's Activities: Hundreds of Activities for Men and Women With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders

The early signs of Dementia (Alzheimer's)

Looking back, there is little doubt in my mind that if I had had the proper education or information I would have realized my mother was suffering from dementia sooner.

Most people like me tend to ignore the symptoms at first believing they are simply signs of "old age". Anyone who ends up in my shoes knows and understands that a person in the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s can function with some normality--even drive a car. It is not until they deteriorate or until some "event" takes place that we wake up to reality.


The basic underlying premise of this article is that behavior changes slowly in the elderly and if they begin to suffer cognitive impairment it will be evidenced in behavioral changes. Sometimes these changes can be quite subtle but if detected could raise a “red flag”.

If my mother had been enrolled in any of these studies I feel certain she would have been diagnosed with dementia sooner. This would have allowed me to get her in an exercise program, get her proper nutrition, and insure that she was taking her medicines as prescribed. I learned in the last three years how important these three factors are in the quality of her life.

The woman in the picture is my 91 year old mother (yes the picture is current). She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. I am her CareGiver.

Alzheimer's--Feeling Abandoned?

You should consider asking your parent(s) if they are lonely.

FEELING ABANDONED?

New research suggests lonely people are at greater risk of developing dementia. Seniors who scored high on the loneliness quiz agreed with three or more of the following scenarios:

• I experience a general sense of emptiness.

• I miss having people around.

• I feel like I don't have enough friends.

• I often feel abandoned.

• I miss having really good friends.

Source: Robert Wilson at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago
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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.