Dementia: Symptoms

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Symptoms

Symptoms of dementia vary depending on the cause and the area of the brain that is affected. Memory loss is usually the earliest and most noticeable symptom. Other key symptoms of dementia include:

• Having difficulty recalling recent events.
• Not recognizing familiar people and places.
• Having trouble finding the right words to express thoughts or name objects.
• Having difficulty performing calculations.
• Having problems planning and carrying out tasks, such as balancing a checkbook, following a recipe, or writing a letter.
• Having trouble exercising judgment, such as knowing what to do in an emergency.
• Having difficulty controlling moods or behaviors. Depression is common, and agitation or aggression may occur.
• Not keeping up personal care such as grooming or bathing.

Some types of dementia cause key symptoms:

• People who have dementia with Lewy bodies often have highly detailed visual hallucinations. They may fall frequently.
• The first symptoms of frontotemporal dementia may be personality changes or unusual behavior. People with this condition may not express any caring for others, or they may say rude things, expose themselves, or make sexually explicit comments.

Symptoms of dementia that come on suddenly suggest vascular dementia or possibly delirium—short-term confusion caused by a new or worsening illness.

Last updated:	June 27, 2007
Author:	Jeannette Curtis
Reviewed By:	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine, Peter J. Whitehouse, MD - Neurology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Denele Ivins