The top neurological symptom warning patients of early-onset dementia is cognitive decline and, consequently, is frequently cited and discussed.
As a result, swathes of the population miss out on the physical signs of the memory-robbing disease.
A young carer who goes by @little.minds.big.stories on TikTok has taken it upon herself to raise awareness of young-onset Alzheimer’s and rarer forms of dementia, sharing her own experience after her mother was diagnosed with the disease at 49.
Declaring that it “isn’t just memory loss”, she explained that the condition can affect various parts of the brain, causing changes in all aspects of life.
Plenty of patients often miss out on the physical manifestations of the disease
@little.minds.big.stories/TikTok
She said: “Whilst memory loss is a massively related symptom to Alzheimer’s disease, the condition can affect different parts of the brain in its infancy and over time.
“This means that physical changes can occur as well as mental. For example, my mum now struggles to walk for long periods and her steps are slower and have a 'shuffled' appearance.”
Reiterating the lesser-known symptom, a study showed that “gait disorders are more prevalent in dementia than in normal ageing and are related to the severity of cognitive decline”.
“Dementia-related gait changes (DRGC) mainly include a decrease in walking speed provoked by a decrease in stride length and an increase in support phase,” the authors added.
Ríona McArdle, at the University of Newcastle, set out a study to analyse whether it was possible to distinguish between the different types of dementia in association with their effects on gait.
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She said: "I found that people with both types of dementia could be distinguished from the normal ageing group based on their walking pattern. They walked slower with shorter steps, were more variable and asymmetric, and spent longer with both feet on the ground compared to control subjects."
As a result, she confirmed that it was evident that those with dementia experience "significant walking problems", and that it was necessary to assess this factor in people "at risk of developing dementia to see if it can predict the onset of the condition".
Importantly, I found that the people with Lewy body dementia had a unique walking pattern that distinguished them from those with Alzheimer’s disease. Their steps were even more variable and asymmetric when they walked.
Additionally, the NHS cited that specific symptoms of dementia can include overall movement problems, including a change in the way a person walks.
The decline is a wider symptom of the deterioration of an individual's neurological state, including the ability to communicate. Such deterioration will persist until the patient is unable to walk on their own or recognise their whereabouts.
Younger individuals with dementia can still be physically fit and active
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Other symptoms of young onset dementia can vary from each individual. Other changes in movement and coordination, according to Dementia UK, can involve:
- Changes in gait, including shuffling, slower walking speed and shorter strides
- Issues with balance, causing falls
- Clumsiness, such as bumping into objects
- Involuntary movement, like hand tremors or fixed eye movements
- Loss of dexterity and mobility
- Difficulty judging distances
Younger individuals with dementia can still be physically fit and active, however. Keeping fit, by going on walks or runs, as well as going swimming or cycling can support increased movement.
Additionally, physiotherapy is recommended for those who think it might be useful. Meanwhile, making changes to your home might provide some extra support where it’s needed to move around more safely.
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