Page 9 - Healthy Brain Initiative, State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Road Map

10 Early Signs and Symptoms
ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S TERMINOLOGY
of Alzheimer’s Disease
Traditionally, Alzheimer’s disease has been
synonymous with dementia. Healthcare providers 1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life
often would not diagnose Alzheimer’s unless a person 2. Challenges in planning or solving
had certain cognitive and behavioral symptoms problems
associated with dementia. Diagnoses might be
delayed for months or years as providers not only 3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at
ruled out other potential sources of the symptoms home, at work, or at leisure
but also observed whether dementia-associated 4. Confusion with time or place
symptoms worsened. 5. Trouble understanding visual images
and spatial relations
Now, researchers are adopting a diagnostic framework
in which Alzheimer’s disease is identified based on 6. New problems with words in speaking or
biological changes in the brain and body, even if no writing
symptoms are present. This is because accumulating 7. Misplacing things and losing the ability
evidence suggests that dementia is just one stage in to retrace steps
the continuum of the Alzheimer’s disease process. 8. Decreased or poor judgment
The continuum begins with disease onset and the 9. Withdrawal from work or social activities
resulting biological changes that occur without any 10. Changes in mood and personality
noticeable decline in cognitive functioning, before
progressing over time to mild cognitive impairment
with detectable symptoms. Then, at the dementia
stage of the Alzheimer’s continuum, symptoms related
to cognitive decline and decline of physical function
emerge and worsen, progressing from mild to severe.

This Road Map applies new terminology to align with the Alzheimer’s Association that proposes a shift in
current scientific understanding. “Alzheimer’s disease” terminology for research use.*
refers either to the underlying disease or the entire
continuum of the disease. The terms “Alzheimer’s
dementia” or “dementia due to Alzheimer’s” describe * Jack CR, Bennett DA, Blennow K, Carrillo MC, Dunn B,
the dementia stage in the continuum. This terminology Haeberlein SB & Liu, E. (2018). NIA-AA Research Framework:
change is consistent with the 2018 research Toward a biological definition of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s
& Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 14(4),
framework from the National Institute on Aging and 535-562.