Early signs of Alzheimer's disease

DEAR DR. LeCRONE: I need information on the early signs of Alzheimer's disease. Please address this problem in your newspaper column.

— A reader in Texas

Dear reader: The Alzheimer's Association has developed a new campaign that highlights early detection and early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, which gives people the power to make choices about their health and future.

With the association's permission, here are some of the warning signs of Alzheimer's:

1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life. One of the most common signs of Alzheimer's, especially in the early stages, is forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; and relying on memory aides (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own.

Typical age-related change (TARC): Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.

2. Challenges in planning or solving problems. Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before.

TARC: Making occasional errors when balancing a checkbook.

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure. People with Alzheimer's often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game.

TARC: Occasionally needing help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show.

4. Confusion with time or place. People with Alzheimer's can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.

TARC: Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.

5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer's. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room. They may not recognize their own reflection.

TARC: Vision changes related to cataracts.

Hap LeCrone is a Waco, Texas, clinical psychologist. If you have questions or topics you would like him to discuss, write to him at 4555 Lake Shore Drive, Waco 76710 or e-mail him at hlecrone(at)aol.com.