WASHINGTON (AP) – Memory loss may not always be the first warning sign that dementia is brewing – changes in behavior or personality might be an early clue.
Researchers on Sunday outlined a syndrome called “mild behavioral impairment” that may be a harbinger of Alzheimer’s or other dementias, and proposed a checklist of symptoms to alert doctors and families.
Losing interest in favorite activities? Getting unusually anxious, aggressive or suspicious? Suddenly making crude comments in public?
“Historically those symptoms have been written off as a psychiatric issue, or as just part of aging,” said Dr. Zahinoor Ismail of the University of Calgary, who presented the checklist at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto.
Now, “when it comes to early detection, memory symptoms don’t have the corner on the market anymore,” he said.