TLDR: This list does not automatically mean someone has dementia—other causes may include drugs, stress, mental illness, or other medical conditions. Seek medical help before jumping to conclusions.

  1. Apathy: nothing is interesting.
  2. Affective dysregulation: sad, anxious, crabby.
  3. Lack of impulse control: frustrated, angry, irrationally stubborn, obsessive.
  4. Social inappropriateness: shockingly uninhibited or rude in words, deeds.
  5. Abnormal perceptions or thoughts: suspicious, hearing or seeing things that aren’t there.

I wish I’d had this article 10 years ago. 20/20 hindsight, my partner in her early 50s went through years of prodromal (beginning signs of) Alzheimer’s before receiving a diagnosis at age 61. The list is scary-accurate.

  • 108beads@lemm.eeOPM
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    1 year ago

    Well—could be any one of a number of things. Article clearly states (and I’ll second) that this isn’t a comprehensive checklist that points only to dementia.

    I’m not going to say what else it might be, as there are so many possibilities. That could generate a raft of options for a total hypochondriac meltdown set of things to worry about.

    I will add that partner’s medical & psych team ran through a whole bunch of other options, and none of the obvious meds, counseling, physical tests seemed to help or point anywhere else.

    It’s a list to pursue seriously with healthcare providers, though.