Scientists have identified an early and subtle sign of dementia that can appear up to 20 years before classic symptoms such as memory loss or speech difficulties begin.
Loss of spatial orientation – the first warning sign
Problems with spatial orientation, such as:
Difficulty reading maps or using navigation (sat nav),
Staying too close to others without realizing it,
Losing your way in familiar places,
...have been seen as the first signs of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study from the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle.
"This happens because the area of the brain that controls spatial navigation is affected first," explains Prof. Michael Hornberger, a dementia expert at the University of East Anglia.
The two stages of the disease
The study divides the disease into two "eras" (early stage and advanced stage):
Stealth phase:
It begins decades before the usual symptoms.
The damage begins in some very sensitive cells in the brain, especially those related to orientation and movement in space.
These changes do not show up on regular brain scans.
Second phase:
It is characterized by the accumulation of tau and amyloid proteins in the brain.
This causes plaques and knots that destroy brain cells and cause the familiar symptoms: memory loss, difficulty speaking, and problems with thinking and reasoning.
In the study, researchers analyzed the brains of 84 people who had died with Alzheimer's and found that even low levels of the harmful protein were associated with loss of essential nerve cells.
"Identifying these first cells to be damaged could be the key to preventative treatments," said Dr. Mariano Gabitto, the study's lead author.
Opportunity for early treatment
Experts are optimistic that interventions during the silent phase can:
Slow down the progression of the disease,
Or completely prevent the occurrence of severe symptoms.
"This long symptom-free period is a golden opportunity for early detection and preventive intervention," said Dr. Igor Camargo Fontana of the Alzheimer's Association.
Risk of metabolic syndrome
Another discovery comes from South Korea, where researchers found that:
Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of early-onset dementia by up to 24%.
This syndrome includes three or more of these conditions:
Abdominal fat
High voltage
High blood sugar
High triglycerides
Low levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL)
People who had all five of these conditions had a 70% higher risk of developing dementia.
A growing global threat
In the UK, around 982,000 people are living with dementia.
This number is projected to reach 1.4 million by 2040.
The cost of the disease in 2024 was around £42 billion, and could double in the next 15 years.
Alzheimer's accounts for 60% of dementia cases, and is the leading cause of death in Britain, according to Alzheimer's Research UK analysis for 2022.
✅ Key points to remember:
First signs: difficulty with spatial orientation, not memory.
The latent phase of the disease begins decades earlier.
Early detection can make the difference in preventing or slowing progression.
Lifestyle and metabolic syndrome are important risk factors that need to be addressed. /Express newspaper/
edition
t7 live
