This could be your first sign of dementia before diagnosis, the study says
Cambridge researchers say they are looking for this surprising symptom.
Dementia can be too frequent in old age, but that does not mean that it's part of normal aging. On the contrary, experts say that when it comes to cognitive depreciation, the goal is to quickly identify and act quickly by combining drugs, therapies, lifestyle changes, etc. However, for manyDementia patients This opportunity has come and that statistics become likely to become more strushes over time. While disease control and prevention control centers (CDC) indicate that more than five million Americanssuffering from dementia In 2014, the organization plans that more than 14 million will suffer from its symptoms by 2060 as the population of more than 65 continues to increase.
Unfortunately, some types of dementia can go unrecognized for years or decades before the symptoms are apparent. In fact, a2021 Report of the Alzheimer Association says thatcertain types of dementia "Start 20 years or more before the symptoms occur. It starts with changes in the brain that are imperceptible to the affected person," adds the organization.
That's exactly why it's so essential to spot signs like theyto do arise - and why a group of researchers from the University of Cambridge isring the alarm About a symptom they say very well being your first. Read to find out what dementia can switch to a problem of problems before a diagnosis and how to get the help you need if you notice it.
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The increase in apathy can be part of the first signs of dementia.
According to the recent study, the increase in apathy - or a lack of motivation, interest or investment is positively associated withfrontal dementia (FTD) and some of its worst results. These included "functional decline, decrease in the quality of life, loss of independence and more mediocre survival, "according toMaura Malpetti, a co-author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in the Cambridge Clinical Neuroscience Department.
It is important to note that all factors can sometimes be improved with medical, therapeutic and lifestyle interventions if they are discovered early. The researchers in the study indicate that their conclusions could help predict the start of the FTD several years before starting other symptoms, creating a "window of opportunity" to intervene during the first stages of the disease.
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Too often, changes in behavior are dismissed or neglected.
According to Cambridge researchers, FTD is associated with significant changes in behavior. Personality changes may includeIncreased impulsiveness, Socially inappropriate behavior, language changes or development of compulsive or repetitive habits. Far too often, these signs of dementia are awarded by mistake, no brain degeneration, but to depression, laziness or lack of social skills. For many patients, this saves and delays the diagnosis.
However,James Rowe, MD, PhD, Professor of the Cambridge Clinical Neuroscience Department and a Mixed Senior Author on the study, points out that when changes in behavior such as apathy are recognized, they can predict complete FTDdecades before the emergence of other symptoms. "Treatment of dementia is a challenge, but sooner we can diagnose the disease, the more our window of the opportunity to try to intervene and slow down or stop its progress," said Rowe.
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If you suspect a problem, a doctor can evaluate your genetic risk for FTD.
Researchers behind the study emphasize that approximately one-third of patients withfrontal dementiaHave a family history of FTD. In fact, when the researchers compared 304 participants in a genetic predisposition at the FTD and 296 of their family members without this same predisposition, they discovered that those with defective genes show more apathy than those without. Using "apathy, memory tests and scanns of brain MRI", have determined that researchers determined that those with proven genetic mutations to accelerate apathy when they approached "the estimated age of Appearance of symptoms ", despite all participants ignoring their genetic status.
If you suspect a problem and want to know more about your FTD personal risk, you can talk about a genetic advisor on the search for a genetic mutation. "Know if a person has agenetic mutationProvides useful information for their families, physician and potential clinical trials, "explains the FTD disorder registry." For those who do not show signs of illness, this knowledge can predict the likely opportunity to develop the disease, "the organization adds.
The greater the apathy, the greater the cognitive problems.
Cambridge researchers not only showed that apathy can be amongFirst symptoms of dementiaThey also established that the level of apathy corresponded to the severity of dementia on the road. "At first, even if the participants with a genetic mutation felt well and had no symptoms, they showed greater levels of apathy"Rogier Kievit, PhD, a Cambridge neuroscientist said via the press release. "The amount of apathy has predicted cognitive problems in the coming years," Kievit said.
Concerned about the development of dementia? Talk to your doctor if you notice a change in your own behavior or that of a loved one.
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