Alzheimer's disease: these signs that precede memory problems
As Dr Emma Richards of the Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research at Public Health Wales points out, "Many patients report experiencing these changes years before receiving a diagnosis, but these symptoms can be overlooked during standard cognitive assessments." Screen bans what are the disorders
The little-known warning signs
For the authors, who present their observations in the book A New Approach to Dementia – Examining Sensory and Perceptual Impairment, these early symptoms affect all of our senses and can manifest in different ways. Vision can be affected, making it more difficult to interpret visual information or navigate familiar environments.
Hearing also undergoes changes, particularly in processing sounds in a noisy environment, which can make conversations in a busy restaurant or at a family gathering difficult.
Smell and taste can also be altered, transforming the dining experience. Touch is not spared, with changes in tactile sensitivity that can affect everyday gestures. Even balance can be disrupted, creating a feeling of instability that goes beyond the simple effects of aging.
Changing the diagnostic approach
This new understanding could transform the way we detect and treat cognitive impairment. For Professor Jan Kremláček, a specialist in neurophysiological assessment at Charles University in Prague, "expanding the diagnostic approach beyond memory tests opens the possibility of identifying dementia at preclinical stages, when therapies and lifestyle changes may be most effective."
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