British researchers have identified six specific personality and mood changes that may serve as early warning signs of dementia, decades before memory loss and confusion become apparent. The study, published in The Lancet, tracked 5,811 adults over 23 years and found that those reporting a cluster of depressive symptoms were significantly more likely to develop the condition.
The six symptoms linked to higher dementia risk include difficulty concentrating, worsening anxiety, decreased self-confidence, an inability to face up to problems, reduced warmth or affection for others, and dissatisfaction with everyday tasks. Participants who experienced five or more of these symptoms had a 27% higher risk of dementia compared to those without low mood.
Lead author Dr Philipp Frank, a researcher in elderly mental health at University College London, said: "This symptom-level approach gives us a much clearer picture of who may be more vulnerable decades before dementia develops. Everyday symptoms that many experience in midlife appear to carry important information about long-term brain health."
Specific risks were elevated for certain traits: those who lost confidence had a 51% higher risk; those avoidant of problems, 49%; those lacking warmth and affection, 44%; and those feeling nervous or "strung up", 34%. The average age of participants at the start of the study was 55, and 586 went on to develop dementia.
Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimer's Society, cautioned that the link between dementia and depression is "complicated". He said: "More research is needed to confirm whether these six symptoms also apply to women and ethnic minorities. Not everyone with depression will develop dementia, and not everyone with dementia will develop depression."
With nearly one million Britons currently diagnosed with dementia and no known cure, experts hope that early identification of these symptoms could allow GPs to offer interventions that might slow the disease's progression.
