Following the death of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's father, Roy Burnham, who suffered with Alzheimer's disease, attention has turned to the early signs of the most common form of dementia. Roy's death was confirmed by Downing Street on Monday, with the Prime Minister cancelling all planned engagements for the rest of the day and the following morning.
Roy Burnham's battle with Alzheimer's
Mr Burnham has spoken openly about his father's battle with Alzheimer's in recent months, including the impact the condition had on Roy's ability to understand that his son had become Prime Minister. The Prime Minister previously revealed that his father had been diagnosed with prostate cancer towards the end of the pandemic and that the family had questioned whether the intensive treatment he received may have accelerated the onset of his dementia.
Speaking on the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast in August, Mr Burnham described an emotional moment when staff at his father's care home tried to help Roy understand that his son had become Prime Minister. He said staff had gathered Roy in front of the television as Mr Burnham arrived at Downing Street, telling him: "Roy, look." Mr Burnham said: "She said he turned and momentarily, they said, 'we thought he knew'."
Early signs of Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia and can cause a range of symptoms which develop gradually over time. While memory loss is often considered one of the most recognisable signs, research has suggested that changes to a person's sense of smell can occur much earlier. Anosmia, meaning a complete loss of smell, or hyposmia, meaning a reduced sense of smell, can sometimes appear before more obvious symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
Research led by the National Institute on Aging in the US found that older people who struggled to identify smells were more likely to develop dementia in the following decade. The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, found that people in their 70s who were unable to identify smells such as roses, lemons and onions were significantly more likely to develop dementia. Researchers have suggested that changes in the sense of smell may be an early indicator of changes taking place in the brain.
Willa Brenowitz, the study's lead author and a neuroscientist at UCSF, previously said: "The olfactory bulb, which is critical for smell, is affected fairly early on in the course of the disease." She added: "It's thought that smell may be a preclinical indicator of dementia, while hearing and vision may have more of a role in promoting dementia."
Symptoms and progression
According to the NHS, memory lapses are often the main symptom of Alzheimer's disease in its early stages. Other signs can include forgetting recent conversations or events, struggling to remember people's names, places or objects and repeatedly asking the same questions. People may also begin misplacing items more often or find it increasingly difficult to make decisions.
Other possible signs include struggling to find the right words, becoming hesitant about trying new things and getting lost in places that were previously familiar. Changes in mood can also occur, with the NHS highlighting increasing anxiety or agitation and periods of confusion. Alzheimer's is a progressive condition, meaning symptoms usually develop gradually and become more severe over time. The rate of progression varies between individuals, and people can experience different symptoms in the early stages.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease, but an early diagnosis can help people access treatment, support and care and make plans for the future. Mr Burnham has previously spoken about the importance of care after seeing his own father's experience. Discussing Roy's illness in August, he said: "My brothers and I, we look back at that and we reflect on it because I don't think we knew enough or had thought or had it explained to us enough that the intensive treatment that comes with prostate cancer may in fact have brought on the dementia." The family have continued to speak about the condition Roy had as Mr Burnham has made improving social care one of the key issues of his time in office.
