Many people’s first impression of alzheimer disease is senile dementia, with memory loss. Influenced by some movies and TV dramas, alzheimer disease has even been beautified as “Although Parents will forget the whole world, they will never forget to love you”.
However, the reality is far crueler than what is shown in the dramas!!!
The Harsh Reality
• In March 2025, an elderly person with alzheimer disease went missing in Liangbei Town, Yuzhou City, Henan Province. Three days later, the family received a notice from the police, saying that the elderly person had died in a traffic accident.
• In February 2025, 95-year-old best Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead at home. He died of a heart attack complicated by advanced Alzheimer disease.
• On the evening of March 3rd, 2025, a 70-year-old elderly person with alzheimer disease in Luoding City, Guangdong Province went missing and was trapped in the mountains for a week...
These heartbreaking incidents are relentlessly uncovering the cruel truth of Alzheimer disease.
“Alzheimer disease is by no means as simple as the common perception of ‘being muddle-headed in old age’”, said Professor Dai Wenxin, an expert at the Memory Clinic of Hainan Chengmei Hospital. As the disease progresses, patients with Alzheimer disease will experience a series of complex and severe conditions such as dysphagia, dyspraxia, and severe impairment of cognition and emotion, which may even endanger their lives.
Memory Clinic
The Memory Clinic of Hainan Chengmei Hospital focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of alzheimer disease and other cognitive impairment disorders. It conducts biomarker tests such as tau217. By analyzing blood and cerebrospinal fluid, it can accurately capture the changes of AD-related biological indicators, providing key clues for early diagnosis.
What’s more, by using neuroimaging PET-CT testing, the early pathological changes of the brain can be presented, such as amyloid protein deposition. The two testing methods complement each other, greatly improving the accuracy of early diagnosis of AD.
Professor Dai Wenxin reminds that the incubation period of Alzheimer disease can be as long as 20 years. During this long incubation period, the body actually sends out warning signals, but they are often overlooked. Medical intervention in the early stage of Alzheimer disease, especially in stages 0-2, is the best time for prevention and treatment, and there is a possibility of reversing the course of the disease.
Observing changes in language expression is one way to detect early alzheimer disease. (This is because sudden language expression disorders are one of the first signs of cognitive decline. It may indicate the onset of Alzheimer disease.)
5 Language-related Signs to Identify Early Alzheimer Disease
1. Stuttering, Hesitation, and Vague Expression
One of the most obvious symptoms of alzheimer disease is the difficulty in recalling specific words, leading to frequent stuttering and hesitation when speaking.
When patients try to recall a word, they may speak vaguely. For example, they may say “that thing” or use other words to describe the word they can’t remember. For instance, if a patient can’t remember the word “dog”, they may say “People often keep it as a pet... It barks... I had one when I was a child.”
2. Misusing Words
Forgetting the correct words may be an early feature of alzheimer disease.
Patients may use related words to replace the ones they want to say. For example, if they want to say “dog”, they may say other animals of the same category, such as “cat”, to replace “dog”. However, in the early stages of alzheimer disease, patients are more likely to use broader category words, for example, saying “animal” instead of “cat”.
3. Talking Without Acting
Patients with alzheimer disease may have difficulty in completing specific tasks.
They tend to talk about their feelings about the task, express self-doubt about the task, or mention their past abilities rather than taking direct action. For example, they may say “I’m not sure if I can do it well” or “I used to be good at this” instead of directly discussing the task itself.
4. Limited Vocabulary Use
A more subtle sign of alzheimer disease is that patients tend to use simpler language and rely on common words. They often repeat the same verbs, nouns, and adjectives instead of using a wider range of vocabulary. In English, they also often use words like “the”, “and”, or “but” to connect sentences.
5. Have Difficulty in Finding Appropriate Words
Patients with alzheimer disease have difficulty thinking of words, objects, or things of the same category.
This is often used as a cognitive test for diagnosis. For example, patients with alzheimer disease may have difficulty listing things in a specific category, such as different food, different parts of the body, or homophones. As the disease progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult for patients to perform these tasks.
Experts remind that although occasional word-forgetting is a normal phenomenon. But if there are frequent and persistent cases of not being able to remember words, speaking fluently, or having difficulty using words, or repetitive language with easy forgetfulness, these may be early signs of alzheimer disease and should be taken seriously.
Besides, age is one of the main risk factors for alzheimer disease. After the age of 65, the risk of getting the disease doubles every five years. For people with a high risk of alzheimer disease as they age (such as those with a family history of alzheimer disease or those with a first-degree relative with Down syndrome), it is particularly important to detect these signs early.
Therefore, Professor Dai Wenxin reminds everyone to pay close attention to the cognitive status of themselves and their family members. Especially for those with early symptoms of Alzheimer disease and those in the high-risk age group with a specific family medical history, once suspected symptoms are found, they should go to a professional medical institution for a comprehensive examination and diagnosis as soon as possible.
Source | Compiled from Scientific American and China Science Communication
Editor | Huang Fei