Alzheimer's self-examination: early identification and prevention

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that usually affects the elderly. Because its early symptoms are often not noticeable, many people miss the opportunity for early intervention. Early diagnosis is crucial for treatment and management. This article will help you understand the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, early signs, how to self-diagnose, and preventive measures.

· Symptoms and early manifestations of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that causes severe impairment of memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common type of dementia. Its symptoms usually start with mild memory loss and confusion, and gradually progress to more severe loss of cognitive function. As the disease worsens, symptoms include:

Memory loss: often forgetting recent events or conversations, and even repeating questions.

Difficulty in daily tasks: familiar activities (such as cooking, driving) begin to feel confused.

Language disorders: difficulty expressing speech, often forgetting what is said or not finding the right words.

Decreased judgment: difficulty making decisions in money management, personal hygiene, etc.

Spatial perception disorder: easy to get lost, difficult to judge time, place and spatial relationship

Mood swings: becoming easily frustrated, anxious, or irritable, with mood swings.

· Early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

The early symptoms of Alzheimer's are often subtle and difficult to detect, and include:

Mild memory problems: Forgetting appointments, important dates or social events.

Cognitive delays: Processing information more slowly, making simple daily tasks difficult.

Social isolation: Stopping social activities that were previously interesting, avoiding parties or going out.

Loss of orientation: Feeling lost or unfamiliar with places you usually go.

These symptoms may not be noticeable at first, but if something is wrong, timely detection and intervention can help slow the progression of the disease.

Self-test: SAGE test

If you or a family member suspects that you are having problems with memory, thinking or judgment, you can do an initial self-test with the SAGE (Simplified Alzheimer’s Evaluation) test. The SAGE test is a free, at-home paper-and-pencil test that takes about 15 minutes to complete and can help identify early signs of Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia.

Sample Test Questions:

🟢1. How many nickels are in 60 cents?

🟢2. You are buying $13.45 worth of groceries. How much change will a $20 bill give you?

🟢3. Write the names of 12 different animals.

🟢4. Draw a large clock face and number it. Place the hand at 10 minutes past 11 o'clock. On the clock, mark "L" for the long hand and "S" for the short hand.

🟢5. Duplicate this shape

🟢6. Look at this example, then go to question 7

🟢7. Do the following

Start at 1 and draw a line from circle to circle, alternating numbers and letters in order, ending at F (from 1 to A, from 2 to B, and so on).

🟢8. Look at this example, then go to question 9. Starting with 6 squares, cross out 1 line (marked with an X), leaving 5 squares, each line must be part of a complete square (no extra lines)

🟢9.Solve the following problem. Starting with 5 squares, cross out 3 lines (marked with an X), leaving 4 squares, each line must be part of a complete square (no extra lines)

Anyone can take the SAGE test at any time. The test is free and you can get it on the Ohio State University website. If you want to see the test results, you can submit your answers to the Ohio State University website (https://www.osu.edu/).

Discuss the test results with your doctor.

Don’t assume that the test results equal any type of diagnosis. The SAGE test is a screening tool that can help doctors detect early signs of cognitive impairment that are usually undetectable during normal doctor visits. When the test is repeated over time, doctors can observe changes in cognitive abilities. Being able to measure changes helps them detect and treat health conditions early. That’s why it’s important to bring your completed test to your doctor for review. If there are signs of cognitive impairment, they may recommend further testing.

Why would someone want an early Alzheimer's diagnosis?

The SAGE test is useful because it can help you understand if your concerns are warranted. If the results seem to indicate that there may be a problem, you may think there's no point in talking to your doctor because dementia can't be cured. But early diagnosis of Alzheimer's or dementia has significant benefits. Most importantly, a treatable disease can be the cause of cognitive impairment. Early detection means getting treatment as soon as possible to eliminate cognitive symptoms. If cognitive impairment is caused by Alzheimer's or dementia, a major benefit is that starting treatment early can more effectively control symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.

Conclusion

Early identification and intervention of Alzheimer's are essential to slow the progression of the disease. If you or a family member experiences early symptoms, it is recommended to get a professional evaluation and diagnosis as soon as possible. At the same time, we can reduce our risk of the disease to a certain extent through a healthy lifestyle and proactive preventive measures. Keeping our brains active, taking care of our physical health, and staying connected with our loved ones will help slow the decline of cognitive function and allow us to live longer and healthier.