The average Alzheimer’s patient is not “Still Alice,†the 50-something linguistics expert from last year’s Academy Award-winning movie who faces a devastating diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. The average Alzheimer’s patient is in her late 70s, whose disease comes on more slowly than depicted in that film, says George Perry, Ph.D., dean of the College of Sciences at the University of Texas San Antonio and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Stealing or Other Law-Breaking Activity
Frequent Falling
Forgetting the Function of Objects
Eating Inappropriate Things
Before the onset of Alzheimer’s, patients tend to eat more—about 500 calories more per day—than their aging counterparts. And still, they tend to lose weight. “We can only guess that the change is metabolic,†Dr. Perry says.
Inability to Recognize Sarcasm
Depression
If someone has never suffered from clinical depression in the course of their lives but develops it later in life (after age 50), it could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s.
Unfocused Staring
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