Dementia symptoms: Expert’s five ‘surprising’ early signs

Dementia can be a devastating diagnosis for both the affected person and their loved ones. It is a progressive condition that leads to the gradual deterioration of the brain.

Many of us are aware of some of the most common and well-known signs.

These include issues with memory, confusion and personality changes.

However, experts say the earliest signs of dementia can be “surprising” and are often more subtle than expected.

According to Katherine Rankin, a neuropsychologist at the University of California, any change in a person’s usual behaviour or abilities can be a cause for concern

While these symptoms should prompt a visit to the doctor, Dr Rankin says it’s important to note they are not “signs of dementia unless they are a change from someone’s previous behaviour.”

Speaking to Everyday Health, she shared five early signs of dementia to spot.

Difficulty spotting sarcasm and lying

Dr Rankin said people with dementia tend to have a harder time picking up on sarcasm.

She also warned that people struggle to tell when someone was lying, although people with Alzheimer’s disease were able to.

Falling more frequently

Frequent falling could be an early signal of Alzheimer’s disease researchers say.

One study, published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience in 2021, found older people who later develop Alzheimer’s disease are more likely to fall in the years before their diagnosis than those who don’t have the condition.

“People will come into our office concerned because they forgot what was on their grocery list last week, but when their spouse says they’ve fallen four times in the past year, that’s a sign of a problem,” Dr Rankin said.

Regular falls could also be a symptom of other brain disorders.

Disregarding the law and social norms

Dementia can cause some people to lose their sense of social norms and what is the law.

According to a review published in the journal Cortex, people with the condition can also display inappropriate behaviour in relationships or make sexual comments or carry out inappropriate actions or even get involved in criminal behaviour.

This can lead to law breaking and can even affect those in their thirties and forties when out-of-character behaviour would be considered a sign of dementia.

Dr Rankin added: “Obviously, the majority of people engaging in those behaviours don’t have dementia. It’s only when a previously law-abiding citizen starts to steal or do other things that are out of character that it becomes a concern for dementia.”

Staring with “reduced gaze”

People with dementia can lose the ability to move their eyes normally, a condition known medically as “reduced gaze”.

This makes them look like they’re staring. They also may have trouble reading and can skip lines.

The person with dementia might not be aware of this but people around them will be.

Eating objects and rancid food

Eating non-food objects out of date foods can also be a surprising symptom.

For example, someone with dementia might try to eat a flower from a restaurant table because Rankin says they “know they are there to eat but don’t know what the flower is doing there.”