Lesser-known early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease that you may notice at social events
20.12.2023 - 10:18
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Alzheimer's disease can be devastating not just for the patient but for all of their loved ones too, especially at Christmas.
Dementia, which is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms that affect the gradual decline of the brain, is thought to affect nearly one million people in the UK.
It often starts out slowly, meaning the symptoms can be difficult to spot at first. But one expert has highlighted some lesser-known signs that can present themselves at social gatherings, that you might not have heard of before.
Many people will already be aware that memory loss and language issues can be a telltale sign that a person may have dementia.
But behaving in a way that's out-of-character and becoming socially withdrawn are just two less common symptoms of the devastating illness, according to Dr Byron Creese, a senior lecturer in psychology at Brunel University in London.
Speaking exclusively to the Express, he explained how these symptoms and more should set off 'alarm bells' if they're spotted.
He said: "It is important to look out for behavioural changes such as agitation, aggression, mood changes, anxiety, social withdrawal and changes in behaviour that were not there before."
"These behavioural symptoms can emerge as new symptoms in older adults who are cognitively normal, and there is emerging evidence that they might be the first sign of an underlying disease like Alzheimer's in some people."
Noticing these changes in personality could be more of an indicator for Alzheimer's than just relying on memory loss as a symptom.
Dr Creese said: “When these kinds of symptoms occur alongside memory and thinking problems, they seem to signal the greatest risk of dementia compared with memory and thinking complaints alone.”
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