Dementia is a group of symptoms affecting higher brain functions. It can be varied depending on the underlying cause or the individual premorbid personality. Here are the common signs and symptoms:
- Early stages: Because of the gradual onset of dementia, its early stages are often overlooked. Common symptoms include:
- Forgetfulness, repetitive questioning (recent memory loss)
- Forgetting to take medicine
- Losing sense of time
- Getting lost in familiar places
- Difficulty handling complex tasks that he/she used to be able to do
- Moderate stage: As dementia progresses to the middle stage, the signs and symptoms are clearer and more restrictive to the patient, including:
- Severe forgetfulness of recent memories (e.g. : forgetful of event that happened 1-5 minutes ago)
- Get lost at home
- Increased communication difficulties
- Needing some assistance in basic self-care
- Experience behavioral changes, including wandering, mood instability (irritable, depressed, anxiety), sleep difficulty, hallucination, delusion and lack of interest.
- Inability to perceive time and place
- Difficulty in identifying relatives and friends
- Difficulty in identifying objects
- Advanced stage: People with advanced dementia are almost completely dependent on the care of others and are almost completely inactive. Severe memory impairment develops and physical signs and symptoms become more pronounced. Symptoms include:
- Needing full assistance in basic self-care (bathe,
- Difficulty in walking;
- Difficulty in swallowing
It is important to know that dementia symptoms may change throughout the course of the disease depending on the underlying cause and severity. If any of your loved ones is experiencing above symptoms, it is advisable to contact a healthcare provider for proper evaluation and assessment. Early detection and treatment can delay the progression of the disease and improve the quality of life for a person living with dementia.
Dr. Low Jong Sern - Psychiatrist/Psychological Medicine Clinic 精神/心理医学专科医生 