Eight Keys to Distinguishing Normal Aging from Alzheimer’s Disease

(By Inés Moreno González and José Antonio Reyes – The Conversation) – Whether we like it or not, the passing of time weighs on us all. Inevitably, aging involves a series of changes considered normal, which fall under what we call successful aging.

However, It is not uncommon to confuse some of these signs of aging – especially forgetfulness – with the first symptoms of the development of Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects many functions, mainly memory and learning. .

So there is no room for confusion, we collect 8 key aspects that allow you to clearly distinguish the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease changes associated with normal aging:

1- Memory loss vs. temporarily forget something

Sometimes forgetting people’s names and remembering them later is not a cause for alarm. There can be several causes related to immediate memory problems, often due to lack of attention or concentration. These deficits can be transient and be due to anxiety, stress or the effect of certain medications. In the case of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss or amnesia is one of the most common symptoms. It is not transient and tends to worsen over time. The usual thing is to forget about newly learned information, such as dates or events, and asking for the same things over and over again.

2- Disorientation in time or space vs. do not remember the current date

It is considered part of normalcy, and not just aging, to quickly forget the day we are in. In stressful situations (or desires for the weekend ahead), we confuse the day we are living in. In Alzheimer’s patients, on the contrary, there is both temporal and spatial disorientation. This implies that the dates are forgotten (a lot), even the year they live or were born. But they also have difficulty getting to a known place, and often do not remember where they are or how they got there, risking getting lost.

3- Aphasia vs. forget the exact word

It has happened to all of us that on occasion we do not remember a specific word and have it “on the tip of our tongue”. Usually later, or even the next day, the term suddenly comes to mind. Nothing alarming …

In Alzheimer’s disease, aphasia appears, the first symptoms of which are difficulty in communicating and speaking. This affects the expression of the words (or they do not find the right word or they repeat themselves a lot), and it generates errors in the order of the words and the writing.

4- Behavioral changes vs. bad mood

Who hasn’t had a bad day? Daily stress, daily problems and worries can temporarily change our mood, become irritable or listless. Sometimes we even get angry when we have to change one of our routines.

Alzheimer’s disease goes further. It can cause psychological and behavioral alterations, such as anxiety, depression, agitation, aggression, irritability, emotional changes, delusions, hallucinations, wandering and even sleep disturbances and appetite that cannot be explained for other reasons.

5- Displaced objects vs. point loss

Where did I leave the car keys? Normal. We multitask and sometimes automatically. When we want to remember where we left the key, our memory fails us. However, we are able to remember what we did on entering the house and realize that we went straight to the kitchen and, here they are, on the counter.

People with Alzheimer’s often lose things but are unable to retrace their steps to find them. Moreover, many times they even accuse others of stealing them because they don’t remember that it was they who left it there.

6- Lack of judgment vs. bad decisions

We all make bad decisions, either out of experience or out of impulsiveness.

Alzheimer’s patients, on the other hand, exhibit behaviors that are abnormal or inappropriate for the situation they find themselves in, difficulty planning their tasks or finances, and difficulty solving problems. They may spend or even give money unwarrantedly or pay less attention to personal care.

7- Apathy and social isolation vs. periods of fatigue

A tiring day, fatigue or lack of sleep due to all the obligations we have can temporarily turn us into warmer people with less desire to participate in social activities.

This is not what happens to Alzheimer’s patients, far from it. In his case, carrying out social or sports activities is a challenge. They may even withdraw in situations where they are exposed to other people.

8- Difficulty in usual tasks vs. help with complex tasks

It is normal for older people to need help with complex tasks or tasks they are not used to, such as using a cell phone or programming a remote control. However, when it significantly affects the performance of daily activities such as shopping, handling money or bank accounts, handling medication, attending medical appointments or arranging travel, for example , we could end up at the start of a pathological condition. In advanced stages, it can affect more basic tasks such as dressing, grooming, handling in the kitchen, etc.

Professional diagnosis

That said, it should be noted that the presence of just one of these symptoms is not enough to suspect Alzheimer’s. You should always go to a specialist for a professional diagnosis.

Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease today, its early detection is essential for better symptomatic treatment and for maintaining a better quality of life as the disease progresses.

* Moreno Gonzále is professor and Ramón y Cajal researcher in neurodegenerative diseases, CIBERNED, IBIMA, University of Malaga. Reyes is a neurologist. Regional University Hospital of Malaga., Andalusia Public health

KEEP READING: