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We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about how everything from walking up the stairs to brushing your teeth can help to reveal early signs of dementia.
But what about when you’re trying to work out whether someone you love actually has the condition, or if you’re just worrying needlessly?
Dementia is frequently underdiagnosed. A 2018 US study found that “Among older adults with probable dementia, 58.7% were either undiagnosed (39.5%) or unaware of the diagnosis (19.2%).”
In his book How To Prevent Dementia, neurologist Dr. Richard Restak suggested: “two sets of questions anyone can use to detect the likely onset of Alzheimer’s or other dementia in another person.”
How did he arrive at those sets?
The doctor explained that “Once we reach adulthood, our behaviour has taken on a regularity” and “predictability” that most of our loved ones recognise.
In fact, he says that noticing shifts in the pattern can actually be more of a red flag sign of dementia than memory loss.
“Alzheimer’s and other dementias represent perturbations in that regularity and predictability,” he writes. So, two sets of questions he recommends asking of someone with suspected dementia are
:1) “Does the person show a change in their usual demeanour? Is the person displaying a recent onset of memory difficulty? Do they show a notable change in their usual behaviour?”
He adds “Dramatic or out-of-character behaviour is always suspect because, as mentioned, most people by adulthood have established a distinct behavioural repertoire.”
2) “If the answer to any of the prior questions is yes, does that change in behaviour interfere with daily living, especially relationships with others?”
After all, Dr. Restak suggests, by the time we’re a bit older we’ve usually worked out decent ways to keep our relationships relatively stable.
In fact “repetitive and emotionally excessive expressions (shouting or even more aggressive behaviour, including physical outbursts) rarely increase in frequency during normal ageing,” he says.
These sorts of displays can be “frequent and serious” among those with dementia, however.
What if the answers are “yes?”
Dr. Restak says that if you answered “yes” to both questions, “Either dementia or psychiatric disease (most likely severe depression) is highly probable.”
However, he says that if you only responded “yes” to the second question, the person “most likely has mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or is normal.”
If you think you or someone you love could have the condition, the NHS advises you to see a GP as soon as possible.
“A diagnosis of dementia can also help people with these symptoms, and their families and friends, make plans so they’re prepared for the future,” they add.
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