Personality Changes in Old Age Considered Normal By Many

When the once loving mother becomes a grumpy, irascible grouch in her twilight years, or when a life partner reacts more and more suspiciously and aggressively with increasing age, many people consider this to be normal. This is the result of a representative survey conducted by the opinion research institute TNS-Emnid. A total of 1,005 people were surveyed, and nearly three-quarters (73 percent) thought that such personality changes were normal side effects of aging, while only 19 percent suspected that an illness could be behind them, and eight percent did not give any information.

Striking behaviors – a dementia disease?

The background to the Emnid study is that conspicuous behavioral changes such as increased restlessness, aggressiveness and hostility, a reversal of the day-night rhythm or increased depressive moods can often be early signs of Alzheimer’s dementia. If such disturbances are noticed, it would therefore make sense to consult a doctor who can clarify the causes precisely and initiate effective treatment at an early stage.

In fact, however, as the study now reveals, although those affected and their relatives perceive the symptoms, the wrong conclusions are drawn from them, or none at all. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed said they knew someone who exhibited such changes. Hardly one in three, however, would talk to a doctor about it.

High level of suffering for all

Instead, the daily togetherness in the marriage or the family often suffers to a considerable extent due to the behavioral disorders. Quarrels and frustration could be avoided in many cases, however, if the symptoms were recognized as illness-related, accepted and treated properly. In addition to in-depth counseling, for example, therapy with an active ingredient called risperidone, which is specifically approved for these behavioral disorders, could significantly improve the symptoms and considerably relax the family situation.

A visit to the doctor is therefore always recommended if one observes suspicious changes in behavior and personality in oneself or a relative.

Visit to the doctor is worthwhile

If the disease were detected earlier, moreover, not only the behavioral disturbances could be eliminated, but also the course of the disease as a whole could be better influenced, Alzheimer’s experts explicitly point out. It has long been known that dementia often rages in the brain for years before a doctor is finally called in. In most cases, the person affected has already lost a large part of his or her intellectual abilities.

If treatment could be initiated in time with existing anti-dementia drugs, such as galantamine, the active ingredient in snowdrops, the further progression of Alzheimer’s dementia could be slowed down by several years.