5 signs of dementia that you can notice 9 years before it starts

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People who develop dementia are more likely to show some impairments in five key areas.

In a recent study, scientists identified several signs of dementia that can appear nine years before the signs become “obvious enough” to be diagnosed.

The researchers noted that people who developed Alzheimer's disease showed “subtle” problems with thinking, including slower reaction times.

This opens up the possibility of intervening in the condition earlier, the study authors suggested.

There is currently no way to stop the disease once it has been diagnosed.

Patients showed some cognitive impairment several years before their symptoms became obvious enough to prompt a diagnosis. The impairments were often subtle, but affected a range of aspects of cognition.

People who developed Alzheimer's disease were found to perform worse than healthy people on task-solving, reaction time, memorizing lists of numbers, prospective memory (the ability to remember what needs to be done later) and matching pairs.

These people were also more likely to fall within a year of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

People with Alzheimer's disease typically have problems with speech. They may be repetitive, and they have difficulty following conversation. They may have difficulty concentrating, planning, or organizing, and they may have difficulty following a sequence of tasks.