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Catherine Thomas-Antérion (neurologist)
On the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day, Doctissimo has chosen to revisit the early signs of the disease. Let’s take stock of what should alert you, with Dr. Catherine Thomas-Anterion, neurologist and member of the B2V Memory Observatory.
On September 21, as every year, World Alzheimer’s Day will be held. This neurodegenerative dementia affects 800,000 people in France. What are the warning signs of the disease? Answers from Dr. Catherine Thomas-Anterion, neurologist and member of the B2V Memory Observatory.
There are no specific signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
When asked about this, the specialist first insists on the fact that there is “no specific sign of the disease”. On the other hand, “there are 1001 reasons to complain about your memory: stress, fatigue, a dosage error on a medication, sleep apnea…”.
She therefore insists that a memory disorder should be discussed with her doctor.You should not hesitate to speak to your GP: they can all, from a few questions, determine whether the memory loss is linked to a somatic or psychological reason.” notes Dr. Thomas-Anterion.
Notice changes from a previous state
Although there are no specific signs of Alzheimer’s disease, it is possible for the patient and those around them to notice changes, both cognitively and in behavior.What is important to note are changes from a previous state: if a person has never had a sense of direction, the fact that he gets lost will not necessarily alert him. On the contrary, if this never happens to him usually and he starts to lose his way regularly, we worry” explains the neurologist.
On the cognitive level, Dr. Thomas-Anterion lists several signs, which may or may not be cumulative:
- Repeated forgetting of complete events, even with clues : “If, for example, a patient has absolutely no memory of a family meal he attended, even when given details, it is because he has not consolidated the memory.” quotes the expert. “If this happens several times, you should consult your doctor.” ;
- Searching for words : “This results in a patient searching for words, but they do not come.” indicates the specialist.”They will be replaced by expressions like ‘thing’ or ‘machin’ instead of the desired word.” ;
- loss of spatial orientation : if it is usual for a person, there is no need to worry.If you can’t find your way in a city you don’t know, that’s normal.” reassures Dr. Thomas-Anterion.On the other hand, if you usually have a good sense of direction and you regularly get lost in your usual environment, this is a deficit in spatial memory for which you should consult a doctor”;
- Loss of recognition of a face or object : here again, “the patient is unable to recognize a person or know what a particular object is for“.
Finally, underlines Catherine Thomas-Anterion, the memory deficit also applies to future events.The patient does not remember his upcoming appointments, even though he made them himself.
Behaviorally, the doctor reports:
Behavioral changes, like cognitive changes, are noticed two to three years before the onset of the disease. These include:
- More pronounced anxiety, with perplexity, the doctor reports.Everything worries them, even though it’s a character trait they didn’t have before.” ;
- A depression, which can be attributed to something else.”Often, depression is linked to an event experienced by the patient, when in reality, the patient feels worse, for no reason. We are therefore concerned about mid-life depressions, which cannot be explained.” ;
- A withdrawal: the patient will have fewer social interactions, “a lesser need to see people, to socialize“.
What should you do if you notice these signs in yourself or a loved one?
If you recognize these signs in yourself or have a loved one who exhibits them, the neurologist recommends consulting your doctor.First-line assessments can be carried out by the general practitioner, who will refer the patient to a specialist if necessary.” estimates Dr. Thomas-Anterion. “Subsequently, a biological assessment, brain imaging and a cognitive assessment will be carried out, in order to make the diagnosis with a good probability“.
And to establish this with certainty, a lumbar puncture will be necessary in order to measure the protein responsible for the disease in the capillary-spinal fluid.But it is an invasive test that is not performed on everyone.” recalls the expert, “the previous examinations are sufficient, in addition to the story of the patient and his relatives, to establish in many cases the existence of the disease”.