Dementia symptoms vary depending on the cause, but common signs and symptoms include:
Cognitive changes
- Memory loss, which is usually noticed by someone else
- Difficulty communicating or finding words
- Difficulty with visual and spatial abilities, such as getting lost while driving
- Difficulty reasoning or problem-solving
- Difficulty handling complex tasks
- Difficulty with planning and organizing
- Difficulty with coordination and motor functions
- Confusion and disorientation
Psychological changes
- Personality changes
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Inappropriate behavior
- Paranoia
- Agitation
- Hallucinations
Symptoms specific to Alzheimer’s disease
The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include:
- memory problems, such as regularly forgetting recent events, names and faces
- asking questions repetitively
- increasing difficulties with tasks and activities that require organisation and planning
- becoming confused in unfamiliar environments
- difficulty finding the right words
- difficulty with numbers and/or handling money in shops
- becoming more withdrawn or anxious
Symptoms specific to vascular dementia
Vascular dementia is the second most common cause of dementia, after Alzheimer’s. Some people have both vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, often called “mixed dementia”. Specific symptoms can include:
- stroke-like symptoms: including muscle weakness or temporary paralysis on one side of the body (these symptoms require urgent medical attention)
- movement problems – difficulty walking or a change in the way a person walks
- thinking problems – having difficulty with attention, planning and reasoning
- mood changes – depression and a tendency to become more emotional
Symptoms specific to dementia with Lewy bodies
Dementia with Lewy bodies has many of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, and people with the condition typically also experience:
- periods of being alert or drowsy, or fluctuating levels of confusion
- visual hallucinations (seeing things that are not there)
- becoming slower in their physical movements
- repeated falls and fainting
- sleep disturbances
Symptoms specific to frontotemporal dementia
Early symptoms of frontotemporal dementia may include:
- personality changes – reduced sensitivity to others’ feelings, making people seem cold and unfeeling
- lack of social awareness – making inappropriate jokes or showing a lack of tact, though some people may become very withdrawn and apathetic
- language problems – difficulty finding the right words or understanding them
- becoming obsessive – such as developing fads for unusual foods, overeating and drinking
Symptoms in the later stages of dementia
As dementia progresses, memory loss and difficulties with communication often become severe. In the later stages, the person is likely to neglect their own health, and require constant care and attention. The most common symptoms of advanced dementia include:
- memory problems – people may not recognize close family and friends, or remember where they live or where they are
- communication problems – some people may eventually lose the ability to speak altogether. Using non-verbal means of communication, such as facial expressions, touch and gestures, can help
- mobility problems – many people become less able to move about unaided. Some may eventually become unable to walk and require a wheelchair or be confined to bed
- behavioural problems – a significant number of people will develop what are known as “behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia”. These may include increased agitation, depressive symptoms, anxiety, wandering, aggression, or sometimes hallucinations
- bladder incontinence is common in the later stages of dementia, and some people will also experience bowel incontinence
- appetite and weight loss problems are both common in advanced dementia. Many people have trouble eating or swallowing, and this can lead to choking, chest infections and other problems.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if you or a loved one has memory problems or other dementia symptoms. Some treatable medical conditions can cause dementia symptoms, so it’s important to determine the cause.