"While we all forget a word now and then, if this becomes a pattern, it could signal a problem. "Difficulty with language including word-finding difficulty, incorrect sentence construction, or difficulty with self-expression can present well before the loss of memory," said Dr. Arif Dalvi, a neurologist and physician chief of the Movement Disorders Program at Delray Medical Center. "Visual or spatial skills can also be affected early," Dalvi continued. "A common way this presents is difficulty navigating a previously familiar route or needing GPS directions to a route that was previously known.""
"Other less commonly recognized symptoms include difficulty completing familiar tasks, noise sensitivity, and a change in taste and smell, according to Dr. Stanley Appel, neurologist and director of the Ann Kimball & John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics at Houston Methodist. "An abrupt change in personality or mood without underlying explanation should also raise a red flag," Dalvi added."
An estimated 6.7 million Americans age 65 and older live with Alzheimer's. Early dementia commonly presents with language impairments such as word-finding difficulty, incorrect sentence construction, and trouble with self-expression that can appear before noticeable memory loss. Visual and spatial skills often decline early, producing challenges navigating familiar routes or a new reliance on GPS. Other underrecognized signs include difficulty completing familiar tasks, increased noise sensitivity, and changes in taste or smell. Sudden unexplained personality or mood shifts warrant concern. Some dementia types, including Lewy body dementia, can cause hallucinations or delusions, though hallucinations have other causes as well.
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