Symptoms

Symptoms

Symptoms in different stages

Dementia is a disease that causes brain function degeneration due to pathological changes of nerve cells in the brain. The disease will affect patients’ memory, comprehension, language, learning, calculation and judgment, cause changes in emotions, behaviour and feelings. Common symptoms of dementia are as follows:

[Early stage]

At this stage, family and friends of dementia
patients tend to overlook the changes and consider them as part of the normal process of ageing

1st – 2nd year

Loss of short-term memory
Difficulty in expressing or understanding abstract concepts, such as physical discomfort as well as thoughts and feelings
Constant emotional and behavioural changes
Difficulty in learning something new and following complex instructions
Compromised judgment
Able to perform basic self-care with the help and reminders of others

[Middle stage]

As dementia progresses, patients will show more obvious difficulties compared with that of early stage

2nd – 5th year

Confusion about long-term memory and reality
Occasional inability to express oneself
Change in behaviour and personalities or being prone to emotional instability
Requiring assistance in everyday self-care

[Late stage]

Complete reliance on others without any ability to self-care

After 5th year

Memory loss; inability to recognise familiar people and places
Decline in physical activities and mental conditions
Inability to perform effective communication
Inability to take care of everyday life
Requiring long-term care and supervision
Disrupted biological clock

Source：
香港老人科醫學會 - 認識認知障礙症
*Prince, M.(2009). World Alzheimer report 2009. London: Alzheimer’s Disease International