Dementia: Note THESE two changes in your walking style; may predict risk 6 years earlier

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dementia is currently the seventh leading cause of death and one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people globally.

However, dementia is not a specific disease but a group of symptoms that affect cognitive functions including memory, thinking, reasoning and social abilities. It can arise from a variety of diseases and injuries, including Alzheimer's.

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Dementia is a condition that usually affects the brain i.e. it has a neurological effect on the body, increasing the risk of cognitive decline. While there is no way to prevent it, experts believe it can be detected early on in life.

Doctor Sara Imarisio, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK believes "brain changes linked to the diseases that cause dementia can start in the brain up to 20 years before symptoms like memory loss appear," reports express.co.uk.

“A key early brain change in Alzheimer’s disease is a build-up of the amyloid protein.

"While we can detect levels of this protein with expensive brain scans and other biological tests, not everyone with high levels of amyloid will go on to develop the symptoms of Alzheimer’s," she adds.

Some of the neurological symptoms therefore include: memory loss, difficulty in communicating or finding words, lack of reasoning and problem-solving abilities, difficulty in doing complex tasks, planning, organizing and more.

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Besides neurological determinants, experts believe physical performance can also be a strong predictor of the illness.

According to WebMD, symptoms can appear differently for each case of dementia, but sometimes physical changes can manifest before memory loss.

“In one study, people who walked slowly or had poor balance were more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the following six years," shares the health body.

These physical changes indicate the slow deterioration of brain cells and neural communication. If left untreated, these deteriorations are said to completely affect a person's ability to walk and process information freely.

Furthermore, balance issues may also arise due to the difficulty with visual and spatial abilities.

In some cases, loss of balance can be attributed to early-stage vascular dementia, rather than being a sign of late-stage dementia.

It is to note that the cerebellum, situated near the base of the skull, is the part of the brain that controls bodily movements.

That said, diseases that affect this part of the brain, such as dementia, are more likely to affect balance earlier on.

“In early stages, or even before other dementia symptoms develop, losing balance while standing or walking can indicate an increased potential to develop Alzheimer’s," explains Dementia Care Central.

“It may also be a good sign that your loved one is suffering a kind of dementia other than Alzheimer’s," the health body adds.

According to Dementia Care Central, "Vascular dementia, for instance, is different from Alzheimer’s disease because the illness is caused by a lack of blood flow carrying oxygen to the cerebellum."

“Some people with vascular dementia will actually experience feelings of vertigo before they have trouble with thinking and memory," it adds.

That said, vascular dementia symptoms vary, depending on the part of your brain where blood flow is impaired, explains the Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms often overlap with those of other types of dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease dementia. But unlike Alzheimer's disease, the most significant symptoms of vascular dementia tend to involve speed of thinking and problem-solving rather than memory loss, the healthy body explains further.

Given that loss of balance can be a sign of late-stage dementia, patients may adjust by changing their gait, or how they walk. This sometimes involves shuffling, instead of lifting each foot to make a step, making falls more likely.

As discussed, a build-up of the amyloid protein is often a predictor of Alzheimer's disease dementia.

According to the Journal of The American Geriatrics Society in 2016, having dizziness and loss of balance earlier on in life could mean someone is more likely to get Alzheimer’s as they get older.

Keeping in view the study findings, another study published in the journal Neurology, noted that those prone to falls are more likely to suffer from a build-up of amyloid in the brain and tau in the spinal fluid.

These buildup are known to cause serious damage to the parts of the brain associated with memory and learning.

Although there is no proven way to avoid the build up of these proteins, experts recommend having a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and getting proper sleep.