Little-known sign of dementia you might spot while doing life admin – and 4 other surprising red flags

MOST of us would name memory loss as a key early sign of dementia.

But the brain-robbing disease can manifest itself in a number of other subtle ways, including when we’re carrying out life admin tasks like baying bills and managing finances.

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New research from Maynooth University and University College Dublin found that money management difficulties were a key early sign of dementia.

In fact, they suggested that people banking behaviours – as well factors such as age and heath status – might help identify people who will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia up to four years in advance.

“Our work shows that money management difficulties comprise invaluable information regarding early-stage dementia,” Prof Cal Muckley from UCD College of Business told HuffPost UK.

“It is well recognised that early-stage dementia typically goes unnoticed by the individual and their family members.

“We show that money management difficulties should be taken seriously as a lead indicator of dementia, especially if stressful experiences such as bankruptcy, bereavement, and divorce, which might explain money management difficulty, can be ruled out.”

The research echoed guidance shared by the National Institute of Aging, which says “that money problems may be one of the first noticeable signs of the disease”.

It explained: “Early on, a person with dementia may be able to perform basic tasks, such as paying bills, but they are likely to have problems with more complicated tasks, such as balancing a bank account.

“As the disease gets worse, the person may try to hide financial problems to protect their independence.

“Or the person may not realise that they are losing the ability to handle money matters.”

UCD and Maynooth University researchers used data National Institute of Aging’s Health and Retirement longitudinal Study (HRS), which took place in the US between 2006 and 2020.

“Consistent with the view that cognitive impairment in early-stage dementia can result in money management difficulties (MMD), we show that the proportion of persons over 70 years old with MMD and who are, in the subsequent four years, clinically diagnosed with dementia is 27.94 percent,” the paper published to SSRN stated.

“Only 6 percent of those without MMD are clinically diagnosed with dementia in the subsequent four years,” the team added.

Researchers also built an AI model that used existing Alzheimer’s research data with a person’s spending habits to predict diagnoses.

They found that 71 per cent of people eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia could be identified up to four years before symptoms showed.

Researchers described money difficulties as “the most important lead indicator of a clinical diagnosis of dementia”.

They argued that spotting dementia early through signs like money management difficulties could help provide people with treatment during a crucial window.

“Dementia is typically diagnosed too late,” researchers explained.

“The years before dementia is diagnosed is a vulnerable period for an individual. Financial mistakes and a deterioration in financial skills can go unnoticed.

“The financial mistakes can relate to financial scams, missed payments on credit accounts, defined contribution pension decisions, estate planning, house sales and late-in-life care arrangements.

“In the years before the disease is diagnosed, there is, moreover, opportunity to achieve individual level therapeutic and medical treatment outcomes, conditional on detection of the disease.”

Issues with money isn’t the only peculiar sign that could precede a dementia diagnosis.

From navigational challenges to walking and talking slower, here are other surprising red flags of the brain robbing disease.

1. Getting lost

Researchers from University College London recently suggested that getting lost could be a first sign of dementia, finding that people at risk of dementia struggled more with navigation.

They dementia patients may exhibit this sign as early as their 40s, up to 25 years before they show other symptoms.

2. Taking speed

A recent study from scientists from the University of Toronto suggested that dementia can make itself known in the way we talk.

It’s not uncommon to spend longer searching for the rights words to use as we get older.

And in fact, Alzheimer Scotland suggests that being unable to find the right words could be an early sign of the brain-robbing disease.

But the Canadian scientists found that the speed at which we talk is a more important indicator of brain health than finding words, as talking slowly was associated with weaker brain functions.

3. Shuffling

Dementia can also affect your movement, according to Alzheimer Scotland.

Things like slips, trips and falls might become more common, the charity said.

But you might start to notice that a person with dementia is shuffling as opposed to lifting their legs when they are walking.

Research published in JAMA Network Open also shows that a slower walking pace could be an early indication of cognitive decline and dementia.

4. Misplacing things

A person living with Alzheimer’s or other dementia may put things in unusual places, according to Alzheimer’s Association.

“They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again,” the charity said.