A study reveals that one of the first symptoms of Alzheimer's could be loss of spatial orientation
The number of Alzheimer's patients is destined to increase over time and the pathology risks becoming a real social scourge, as there is no cure for this and other types of dementia - at least for the time being.
Although a cure is not yet available, researchers have taken extraordinary steps forward in understanding this disease which, we hope very soon, will lead to the identification of a definite cure.
In the meantime, prevention remains of fundamental importance and doctors reaffirm not to neglect the very first warning signs. Precisely in this regard, a group of scientists has discovered what could be an early symptom of Alzheimer's, and it is not memory loss.
via NCBI
The study was performed at the University of Washington, in St. Louis (Missouri), in the United States. The researchers formed three groups of volunteers with the first consisting of healthy individuals, the second of individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer's, and the last group contained patients with the pathology established for years.
The three groups were asked to find the exit of a maze and as expected, healthy volunteers were the ones who quickly resolved the test, while a worse result was obtained by individuals in the initial stage of the disease, followed by those already diagnosed.
The result of the research suggests that the incapacity or reduced orientation ability could be a very early warning sign of the disease, even before the first signs of forgetfulness appear.
Certainly, some people have poor orientation skills while being completely healthy, but those with good skills who have lost this capacity over time should undergo tests.
The loss of the sense of orientation is not the only sign of Alzheimer's disease. Here are the others.
- Forgetfulness: Difficulty in learning new knowledge and remembering old information can be a sign of Alzheimer's. It happens to everyone not to remember facts, but it is when it seems impossible to recover the memory in the mind that medical checkups should be made.
- Unkempt appearance: A person with Alzheimer's can start forgetting to brush their teeth, take a shower, and take off their pajamas. This is why often those who are affected by Alzheimer's look scruffy and dirty.
- Eyesight problems: People with the ongoing development of Alzheimer's often complain of vision problems. These problems are not really caused by the eyes, but by the part of the brain that processes the images. Often associated with vision problems, distortions appear in the perception of color and depth.
- Depression: Patients in the initial stage of the disease let themselves succumb to a state of being that is very similar to depression. They stop doing physical activity and any other activity that gave them pleasure, they isolate themselves from conversations and shut out emotionally the people closest to them.
Often it is very difficult to identify these changes in the elderly and it is easy to mistake them for something less serious. However, remember, prevention is the most effective weapon in the treatment of Alzheimer's.
Therefore, if your relative shows any of these symptoms, arrange for a specialist examination to rule out the possibility of a degenerative disease in progress.
