What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a slowly progressive disorder of the brain that affects thinking and behavior. Progressive means it gets worse over time. Alzheimer’s disease generally affects memory and the ability to think logically. In its most severe form, Alzheimer’s disease can interfere with a person’s ability to perform daily tasks, such as dressing, bathing, and eating.
Most patient’s symptoms progress slowly over a number of years. Symptoms might not be noticed early on. Sometimes, it is only when family members look back that they realize when the changes started to occur.
Common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include:
- Impaired memory and thinking — The person has difficulty remembering things or learning new information. Long-term memory loss occurs when the person can’t remember personal information, such as his or her place of birth or occupation.
- Disorientation and confusion — People with Alzheimer’s disease might get lost when out on their own, and might not be able to remember where they are or how they got there. They also might not recognize previously familiar places and situations.
- Misplacing things — The person forgets where he or she put things used every day, such as glasses, hearing aids, keys, etc. The person also might put things in strange places, such as leaving their glasses in the refrigerator.
- Abstract thinking — People with Alzheimer’s disease might find certain tasks—such as balancing a checkbook—more difficult than usual. For example, they might forget what the numbers mean and what needs to be done with them.
- Trouble performing familiar tasks — The person begins to have difficulty performing daily tasks, such as eating, dressing, and grooming.
- Changes in personality and behavior — The person becomes unusually angry, irritable, restless, or quiet.
- Poor or decreased judgment — The person has difficulty making decisions and cannot grasp consequences.
- Inability to follow directions — The person has difficulty understanding simple commands or directions. The person might get lost easily and begin to wander.
- Problems with language and communication — The person can’t recall words or understand the meaning of common words.
- Impaired visuospatial skills — The person loses spatial abilities (the ability to judge shapes and sizes, and the relation of objects in space), and can’t arrange items in a certain order or recognize shapes.
- Social withdrawal — The person begins to spend more time alone and is less willing to interact with others.
- Loss of motivation or initiative — The person might become very passive and require prompting to become involved.
It is important to visit a doctor if you or a loved one experiences any of these symptoms so you can receive the proper evaluation and diagnosis. There are other conditions—such as depression, a head injury, certain chemical imbalances, or the effects of some medicines—that can produce symptoms that are similar to those of Alzheimer’s disease.
Your doctor can only diagnose probable Alzheimer’s disease after a thorough medical, psychiatric, and neurological evaluation. The doctor will evaluate other possible causes of dementia to rule out all other factors before settling on Alzheimer’s disease as a diagnosis. A definite diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is possible only after death, when the doctor can more closely examine the brain for the telltale changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 9/27/2006.
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