The very first signs of dementia could be flagged up by ophthalmologists, if they know what to look for, according to new findings by health researchers
An early warning sign of dementia that can occur on people’s visions can alert medics before sufferers start to experience memory loss.
Alzheimer’s disease can often go undetected for long periods before sufferers get a diagnosis, but a neurologist has now identified the early symptom which often appears before the condition begins to impact on patients’ mental faculties. The very first signs of dementia could be flagged up by ophthalmologists, if they know what to look for, according to health researchers working with the University of California in San Francisco.
Posterior cortical atrophy or PCA, also known to doctors as Benson’s syndrome, is sometimes described as a visual variant of Alzheimer’s disease, impacting areas in the brain responsible for spelling, calculation, spatial perception and complex visual processing.
Dr Marianne Chapleau, a neurologist from the University of California in San Francisco Department of Neurology, argues that diagnosing PCA faster and more often could help many more patients who are in the first stages of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
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She said: “Most patients see their optometrist when they start experiencing visual symptoms and may be referred to an ophthalmologist who may also fail to recognize PCA. We need better tools in clinical settings to identify these patients early on and get them treatment.”
Importantly, for the early diagnosis of dementia, the signs of PCA become apparent before the age of 60, on average. This is usually before the first signs of memory loss and confusion appear in those developing Alzheimer’s disease. Dr Chapleau’s full research paper was published in the medical journal The Lancet.
It states that people with PCA first visit a doctor on average 3.8 years after symptoms appear. Unfortunately, by this time according to Dr Chapleau and her colleagues, mild or moderate symptoms of dementia are in evidence.
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When diagnosed, a large number of sufferers of PCA showed signs of what’s known as “constructional dyspraxia, space perception deficit, and simultanagnosia.” Constructional dyspraxia is an inability to copy a drawing or build a simple model. Space perception deficit is when a patient has problems identifying the location of something they see, hear or feel. Simultanagnosia is a visual disorder that refers to when a patient has problems paying attention to more than one object at a time. Additionally, nearly half had problems doing simple sums and reading text.
Researchers believe that PCA is still underdiagnosed and they want to make more people aware of the disorder and it’s links to diagnosing dementia at an early stage. There is more information about lesser known causes of dementia via the NHS and the Alzheimer’s Society has a section on posterior cortical atrophy.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
