Dementia

Protein buildup begins in different brain areas for each type of dementia. As a result, the earliest symptoms may differ.

Memory loss is often the first sign of dementia. If you have Alzheimer’s disease, you typically have trouble remembering things you recently learned.

Frontotemporal dementia begins in a brain area different from Alzheimer’s disease. As a result, the first signs are often personality changes or difficulty speaking.

No matter what early signs of dementia appear, all types can cause these symptoms:

• Confusion about time and place (getting lost when driving to a familiar place)
• Difficulty concentrating
• Diminished reasoning, planning and organizational skills
• Impaired visual perception (can’t make sense of what you see)
• Language problems (trouble using words and communicating)
• Less control over emotions
• Memory loss
• Personality and behavioral changes (anger, agitation, anxiety, paranoia)
• Problems doing math
• Reduced motivation
• Weakened motor (muscle) skills

You or your loved one with dementia may have trouble remembering appointments or paying bills. You may not be able to sleep well. Daily tasks like dressing, bathing and cooking become more difficult as the disease progresses.

Specialists at Emory Healthcare perform a detailed examination. We learn about your family history, medical history, current symptoms and concerns. Then, we complete a thorough physical exam and a neurological assessment.

Your doctor does a screening test to evaluate your memory and other cognitive abilities. A memory evaluation may only take three to 15 minutes. Though the test is brief, it provides a quick, accurate memory assessment.

Your exam and memory testing results determine if your doctor recommends additional testing. You may undergo one or more of the following:

• Blood tests
• Brain scan (CT scan or MRI)
• Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• Genetic testing
• Psychiatric evaluation
• Spinal tap (to test spinal fluid for proteins associated with dementia)

In recent years, scientists and clinicians have made tremendous progress diagnosing Alzheimer’s and related causes of dementia and finding new treatments. For this reason, early detection of cognitive impairment has become increasingly important.

If you believe you are experiencing cognitive changes, please contact us to set up a cognitive screen as the first step to identify the cause and a path forward for management and treatment.