Signs & Symptoms
Caregivers see a variety of behaviors in memory-impaired individuals, ranging from mild behaviors, such as sleeplessness, to more severe ones, such as anger or aggression. In 2013, Harris Interactive, Inc. completed a study to report the frequency of observed behaviors by caregivers, summarized in the chart to the right.*
Many of these behaviors are reflected in the Alzheimer’s Association’s list of signs and symptoms below:**
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life. (e.g., forgetting important dates,
asking for the same information over and over) - Challenges in planning or solving problems (e.g., following a familiar
recipe or keeping track of monthly bills) - Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure (e.g., trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game)
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships (e.g., difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast)
- New problems with words in speaking or writing
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgment
- Withdrawal from work or social activities
- Changes in mood and personality
*Chart provided with permission by Harris Interactive.
**Signs and symptoms provided by the Alzheimer’s Association, alz.org.