Signs Of Alzheimers

Study: Alzheimer's Harder to Spot Past Age 80

Aug. 10, 2011 -- Signs of Alzheimer’s disease tend to be less noticeable in people over 80, suggesting that the condition may be under-diagnosed in the very old.

Researchers examined standard measures of Alzheimer’s by age, finding that older elderly people may have more subtle symptoms of the disease than the younger elderly.

Specifically, people over age 80 showed less difference in brain size compared to healthy peers of the same age. And even though they had similar levels of thinking impairment as younger Alzheimer’s patients, the difference compared to healthy people of the same age was less pronounced.

“Our findings suggest that the changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease may be more difficult to detect in people over the age of 80,” says researcher Mark Bondi, who directs the neuropsychological assessment unit at the VA San Diego Health Care System. “We may be missing mild cases of Alzheimer’s in this age group.”

People over age 80 make up the fastest-growing population in the world. By the year 2040, it is projected that 3.5% of the U.S. population will be 85 or older, compared to less than 2% today.

The study by Bondi and colleagues included 105 people with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and 125 people with no such diagnosis. Participants were grouped according to age, as younger old (aged 60 to 75) or older old (80 and older).

All the study participants were given standardized mental ability tests that measured language, attention and information processing speed, memory, and ability to manage tasks.

They also had brain scans to measure the thickness of the outermost tissue layers in the part of the brain known as the cerebrum. Cerebrum thinning and thinning in other key regions of the brain are routinely assessed in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other age-related memory disorders.

Even though the younger old and older old patients had similar overall declines, the pattern of change associated with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s was found to be less noticeable in the patients who were 80 and older.

In the older participants, there was less difference in memory and other measures of cognitive function between people with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and people in the same age group without a diagnosis than in the younger age group.

The older Alzheimer’s patients also showed less severe thinning of portions of the cerebral cortex and the overall cerebrum than the younger patients when compared to healthy peers.

Five Early Signs Hint At Alzheimer's - Staying Healthy News Story ...

Sometimes, according to memory experts, even doctors miss early dementia signs because they're focused on memory loss to the exclusion of other symptoms.

In fact, in 2011 Spanish researchers found that more than a third of adults who go on to develop early-onset Alzheimer's (the kind that appears before age 65) have the following symptoms early in the disease, even before memory loss is apparent. These symptoms can also be the first to appear among adults who develop Alzheimer's after age 65.

Of course, if you notice any of these symptoms, it's important to have them checked out by a doctor, psychologist, or other expert in cognition and the brain.

A warm, friendly loved one may seem to morph into a bit of a grouch -- at first occasionally, and then increasingly. A gregarious person still jokes and talks a lot but begins to say inappropriate things or make odd accusations. A mild-mannered loved one begins cursing. All of these are examples of the kinds of personality changes that can predate memory loss in someone with dementia. Often, it's only later that friends and family look back and realize that behaviors they found off-putting or upsetting weren't intentional but related to the Alzheimer's.

Trouble carrying out basic, familiar tasks can creep up slowly but surely. The person may, for example, have difficulty doing something that involves multiple steps, like following written directions or instructions. A longtime cook may avoid complicated recipes. A hobbyist may simplify the form of his or her craft.

Other hallmark trouble areas: making plans and not following through, whether for a vacation or an activity. Not tracking bills. Not being able to solve simple problems, such as mending a broken piece of machinery he or she could once fix easily.

Problems with depth perception or visual-spatial coordination can precede memory problems. The person may have trouble driving or even walking well without tripping on stairs. It can be hard to judge distances or see contrasts between like colors, which can lead to accidents. In a more severe example of a perception problem, the person may not recognize himself or herself in a mirror or when passing his or her reflection in a building or window on the street.

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