Alzheimer’s Disease: What Are the Signs?

There is no one size fits all when it comes to Alzheimer’s symptoms. In most cases, memory problems are one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. There may be signs of Alzheimer’s in non-memory aspects of cognition, such as difficulty understanding visual images and spatial relationships, and impaired reasoning or judgment. Confusion and changes in behavior become more prevalent as the disease progresses.

The symptoms of Alzheimer’s usually appear in the mid-60s or later for people with the late-onset variety. It’s rare for the disease to develop in people before the age of 65, but if it does, it’s known as early-onset Alzheimer’s.

There are several stages of Alzheimer’s disease: preclinical, mild (sometimes called early-stage), moderate, and severe (sometimes called late-stage).

Alzheimer’s disease in its preclinical stages

Studies suggest that Alzheimer’s causes complex brain changes, including the formation of amyloid plaques There is a decade or more before memory and thinking problems arise as a result of amyloid plaques or tau tangles. 

Signs of Mild Alzheimer’s disease

In mild Alzheimer’s, a person may seem healthy but has more and more trouble making sense of the world around them. The realization that something is wrong often comes gradually to the person and their family. Problems can include:

• Daily life is disrupted by memory loss
• Making bad decisions due to poor judgment
• Sense of initiative and spontaneity are lost
• Completing daily tasks more slowly than usual
• Forgetting recent information or repeating questions
• Challenges in planning or solving problems
• Wandering and getting lost
• Losing things or misplacing them in odd places
• Difficulty completing tasks such as bathing
• Mood and personality changes

Alzheimer’s is often diagnosed at this stage.

Palm Beach Research has Alzheimer’s Clinical research studies to help patients. To learn more you can give us a call at (561) 689-0606 or visit palmbeachresearch.com to see our current studies.