Signs and Symptoms of Dementia

Dementia is a loss of cognitive ability that is best known for leading to memory loss, particularly short term memory loss. It is often confused with Alzheimer’s but Alzheimer’s is, in fact, a cause of dementia. Dementia is where impairment of the brain impacts the memory and how one thinks. It is most common in older people and is where someone’s cognitive ability deteriorates at a quicker rate than is expected from normal aging. The probability of developing dementia is increased when there is a family history of it.

Dementia, then, is not a decease as such, but rather a collection of symptoms.  The condition can impact every aspect of someone’s life, meaning that getting the right dementia care is crucial. Ideally the signs and symptoms should be spotted early. Some of these are outlined below.

The best known and easiest to spot sign of dementia is memory loss. Short term memory loss and problems remembering recent events is particularly common, with long term memory sometime unaffected. In some patients memory fades gradually, sometimes over a period of several years, while in other cases it can deteriorate significantly over a short period. Memory loss in a dementia patient can be as extreme as not remembering where they live, leading then to feel unfamiliar in their own home, and not recognising loved ones. This can even include their spouse or children. Regression to an earlier stage of life is another common symptom. This leads some to remember things as they did at this earlier stage in their life. This can result in them believing they are still at school or long-gone parents are still alive. This often causes much confusion in certain circumstances and there can be a time when someone has a very clear memory of sixty years earlier, for example, but has very little memory, or even no memory, of what happened a week previous or a few hours ago.

Issues with organisation and planning can be another problem. This is because the brain can have trouble with attention to detail and piecing things together. It also affects the ability to be able to think on a number of different levels. Handling numbers can be particularly troublesome for dementia sufferers. This can be an early sign of memory loss that may, ultimately, be the early stages of dementia. Problems processing numbers and making calculations can lead to having difficulty with simple Maths and paying for items in a shop.

Dementia can lead to mood swings and depression. Sufferers can lose control of their life and be unable to cope on their own and perform tasks that would have been natural in the past. Many find this difficult to accept, which therefore results in depression.

Muscle memory can become a problem and is more common in later stages of dementia. This can impact movement and lead to clumsiness and being unable to perform simple tasks, such as pouring a drink. Muscle memory issues can also result in difficulty with speech. Incontinence is another symptom that increases in likelihood in the later stages of dementia. Bladder incontinence is most common but bowel incontinence can also affect patients.

There are many signs and symptoms of dementia. The above isn’t an exhaustive list but some of those that are more common.

Andrew Marshall ©