17 September 2023 , 19:34
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Although the horrific brain destroying disease Alzheimer's and other types of dementia are mostly associated with elderly people, it can develop in people far younger, in their 30s or 40s.
Over one in 10 adults in the US over the age of 65 have dementia. Although most patients have Alzheimer's there are other less common types including Frontotemporal dementia which Hollywood star Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with
When it develops under the age of 65 it is known as early onset, or younger onset. Expert's from Johns Hopkins Medicine have revealed the 11 key symptoms to look out for to catch the disease early.
Although the science behind understanding dementia has come along in a huge way in the past 20 years, experts still don't fully understand what triggers it. For early onset dementia, family history of the disease is the only known risk factor.
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Dementia destroys lives (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Johns Hopkins Medicine is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in Baltimore, Maryland.
According to its experts there are 11 key symptoms that appear first that could indicate early-onset dementia. These are:
Forgetting important things, particularly newly learned information or important dates
Asking for the same information again and again
Trouble solving basic problems, such as keeping track of bills or following a favourite recipe
Losing track of the date or time of year
Losing track of where you are and how you got there
Trouble with depth perception or other vision problems
Trouble joining conversations or finding the right word for something
Misplacing things and not being able to retrace your steps to find it
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Increasingly poor judgement
Withdrawal from work and social situations
Changes in mood and personality
The science behind understanding dementia has come along a huge way in the last 20 years (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Like more standard Alzheimer's the first symptom normally spotted in somebody with dementia is a lapse in memory. The NHS states: "It's normal for your memory to be affected by stress, tiredness, certain illnesses and medicines. But if you're becoming increasingly forgetful, particularly if you're over the age of 65, it's a good idea to talk to a GP about the early signs of dementia.”
Johns Hopkins Medicine also highlights a number of symptoms that develop as the disease progresses. These include:
Severe mood swings and behaviour changes
Deepening confusion about time, place, and life events
Suspicions about friends, family, or caregivers
Trouble speaking, swallowing, or walking
Severe memory loss
Anyone who suspects they or a loved one might be showing any of these symptoms should go to a healthcare professional for a formal diagnosis.
They will get the patient to run through their health history and perform a number of cognitive tests of memory, problem solving, and other mental skills. Diagnosis is made all the more difficult by what are known as 'dementia mimickers' - other medical conditions with symptoms that can imitate dementia.
Dr Nicole Purcell, a practising neurologist and senior director of clinical care at the Alzheimer's Association, of this dilapidating disease. She told Mirror Online: "So it’s not a one size fits all situation. There isn’t just one symptom, I’d like there to be."
She said: "Things like vitamin deficiency (B12/B1) can cause difficulties with memory. Depression can cause memory difficulty in of itself. That gets treated and often the memory issues disappear or improve. Things like medication patients are on. So there are different things that cause dementia-like symptoms."
Blood, urine and spinal fluid tests can be done by doctors if further testing is required and some patients may also need certain imaging test such as CT and MRI scans of your brain. These give your provider a closer look at brain tissue to show how much damage there is.