| Impaired memory and thinking are the most common symptoms associated with a dementia diagnosis. But noncognitive symptoms can appear years or even decades earlier. Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases, can progress through three main stages. The first stage can start 15 to 20 years before any obvious changes to cognition. During this time, the brain starts to shrink, and the misfolded proteins that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s begin to build up — sticky amyloid beta plaques in the brain and tau tangles in neurons. This is followed by mild cognitive impairment, where people begin having noticeable problems with memory and cognition but otherwise have good overall function. Then comes the “dementia” stage, when multiple cognitive domains are impaired, leading to an inability to function independently in day-to-day life. Experts caution that having early symptoms linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s does not mean you’ll necessarily develop dementia, and about 45 percent of dementia cases are preventable with lifestyle changes. Here are six early symptoms that often appear in people who are later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. |
