Language and Problem Solving May Be Early Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
Language and Problem Solving May Be Early Symptoms of Alzheimer’s – A large study shows that memory loss may not be the first sign of Alzheimer’s as generally believed, particularly among younger patients.
Researchers at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London analyzed data on early symptoms among nearly 8,000 Alzheimer’s patients and found that 1 in 4 people under the age of 60 showed symptoms other than memory loss. These younger patients experienced non-memory issues, such as trouble with language and difficulty in solving problems.
Researchers found that age determined the symptoms that patients with Alzheimer’s experienced. One in five patients in their 60s cited difficulties unrelated to memory, but this number started decreasing with age to one in 10 for people in their 70s.
Alzheimer’s affects over 5 million Americans,and the disease is progressive. The brain disease gradually results in loss of memory, and inability tto think and do simple tasks like dressing and eating. Scientist believe that the disease is cause by amyloid plaques that form in the hippocampus region of the brain, which is associated with memory and other cognitive functions.
Lead study author Josephine Barnes and her team think that it’s important to know how Alzheimer’s manifests in early stages, so it can be diagnosed and treated earlier.
Category: News
