Ten Million People Diagnosed with Dementia Worldwide Each Year – Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

According to the World Health Organization, ten million people are diagnosed with dementia worldwide each year. The Alzheimer’s Society estimates that approximately one million people in the UK are currently living with the disease, and studies predict that this figure will rise to 1.6 million people by 2050. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, leading to a decline in memory and thinking skills. It is a physical illness that causes the brain to stop working properly and gets worse over time. Identifying the onset of Alzheimer’s early can help patients and caregivers find the right support and medical care.

One way to detect Alzheimer’s early is by spotting changes to people’s use of language. This is because new speech problems are one of the first signs of a mental decline that could indicate the onset of this disease.

Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

1. Pauses, Hesitations, and Vagueness

One of the most recognizable symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is trouble remembering specific words, which can often lead to frequent or long pauses and hesitations. When a person with Alzheimer’s is struggling to remember a word, they may talk vaguely, such as saying “thing”, or describing and talking around a word. For example, if someone is having trouble remembering the word “dog”, they may say something like “people have them as pets … they bark … I used to have one when I was a child”.

2. Using Words with the Wrong Meaning

Trouble remembering the right word can be an early feature of Alzheimer’s. People with Alzheimer’s might replace a word they are trying to say with something related to it. For example, instead of saying “dog”, they might use an animal from the same category, saying “cat” for instance. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, however, these changes are more likely to be related to a broader or more general category such as saying “animal” instead of “cat”.

3. Talking about a Task Rather than Doing It

Someone with Alzheimer’s may struggle with completing tasks. Instead of performing a task, they may talk about their feelings toward the task, express doubts, or mention past abilities. They might say, “I’m not sure I can do this” or “I used to be good at this”, rather than discussing the task directly.

4. Less Word Variety

A more subtle indicator of Alzheimer’s disease is the tendency to use simpler language, relying on common words. People with Alzheimer’s often repeat the same verbs, nouns, and adjectives instead of using a broader vocabulary. They can also use “the”, “and” or “but” frequently to connect sentences.

5. Difficulty Finding the Right Words

People with Alzheimer’s can have trouble thinking of words, objects, or things that belong in a group. This is sometimes used as a cognitive test for the disease. For example, those with Alzheimer’s may struggle to name things in a specific category, such as different foods, different parts of the body, or words that start with the same letter. This gets harder as the disease progresses, making these tasks increasingly challenging.

Conclusion

While forgetting words now and then is normal, persistent and worsening problems remembering words, speaking fluently, or using a variety of words could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Identifying these signs early can be particularly important for people at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease as they age, such as people with Down Syndrome.

FAQs

Q: What is the most common cause of dementia?
A: Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.

Q: How many people are diagnosed with dementia each year?
A: Ten million people are diagnosed with dementia worldwide each year.

Q: What is the biggest risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s?
A: Age is the biggest risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s – the chance of developing the disease doubles every five years after the age of 65.

Q: Can people with Down Syndrome develop Alzheimer’s disease?
A: Yes, people with Down Syndrome are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.