Detect people with dementia through 4 common phrases

Although there is currently no cure for dementia, the disease can be detected early through daily habits, making it easier to treat and slowing the progression of the disease.

Dementia is a brain disease syndrome that is increasingly common today, affecting many high-level functions of the cerebral cortex such as memory loss, thinking, orientation, language recognition, judgment, learning and social abilities, but the patient's consciousness is not disturbed. These impairments often progress over time and are difficult to recover, causing significant decline in intellectual function as well as daily activities.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are currently about 35.6 million people in the world suffering from dementia , mainly in low- and middle-income countries. This number is expected to double to 65.7 million people by 2030 and more than triple to 115.4 million people by 2050.

Most people begin to show signs of memory loss in their mid-60s, however, some may start as early as their 30s.

In an interview with "Life Times", neurologist Guo Jifeng - Director of the Department of Neurology at Xiangya Hospital of Central South University (China) said that we can completely recognize the symptoms of early memory loss through some common sayings of the elderly in the family.

How to detect people with dementia

According to neurologist Guo Jifeng, patients with dementia or those with a tendency to dementia tend to forget things and forget things very often. They often forget recent events, while old events are remembered more clearly. Notably, this abnormality can be detected if the patient often says four sentences.

"What did you just say, please say it again!"

The most prominent feature of dementia patients is severe short-term memory loss and difficulty concentrating. Even what just happened or what they just said will be forgotten by them. Therefore, they often ask the other person to repeat what they just said, even repeating it many times.

"My stuff is missing, did someone take it?"

Short-term memory loss and often not being able to find daily necessities are also typical symptoms of dementia patients.

Patients not only forget where they put things, but also put things in unusual places such as the refrigerator, wardrobe, etc. When they cannot find things, some patients easily develop a suspicion that people around them have stolen their things without any basis.

"Where is this, how did I get here?"

As the disease progresses, dementia patients' concepts of time and space gradually decrease. Even places that were once familiar to them suddenly disappear. They are completely unaware of themselves. They get lost, cannot read road signs, and may even ask, "Why am I here?" Some patients even have a decline in IQ and cannot ask for help from the outside world .

"You all don't care about me"

The cerebral cortex of people with dementia is affected by the disease, which can cause them to have mood swings or be particularly sensitive. Their unusual emotional responses are not fixed. Some people change from extroverted to introverted, and some from introverted to extroverted. As the disease progresses to the middle stages, they often become socially awkward. If they have to say something next, they may choose not to speak.

Guo Jifeng reminded that if relatives or friends are found to have the above signs of dementia with cognitive decline, it is best to go to the neurology department for examination as soon as possible, which can help reduce the risk of dementia or delay the disease process.