Symptoms
The early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be overlooked because they resemble signs of natural aging. Older adults who begin to notice a persistent mild memory loss of recent events may have a condition called mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is now believed to be a significant sign of early-stage Alzheimer's in older people. Studies now suggest that older individuals who experience such mild memory abnormalities can later develop Alzheimer's disease.
Early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease may include:
- Forgetfulness (particularly of recent events or information)
- Loss of concentration (having trouble planning or completing familiar tasks, difficulty with abstract thinking such as simple arithmetic problems)
- Language problems (forgetting the names of objects, mixing up words, difficulty completing sentences)
- Confusion about time and place (difficulty recognizing familiar neighborhoods or remembering how arrived at a location, confusion about months or seasons )
- Impaired judgement (dressing inappropriately or making poor financial decisions)
- Impaired movement and coordination (slowing of movements, halting gait, reduced sense of balance)
- Mood and behavior changes (rapid mood swings, emotional outbursts, personality changes, increased fear or suspicion)
- Apathy and depression (loss of interest in activities, increased sleeping, sitting in front of the television for long periods of time)
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