Cognitive decline does not necessarily start with memory lapses, contrary to what everyone believes.
Spotting cognitive decline is not always easy. The first signs do not necessarily look like what we think of as forgetfulness. Forgetting your keys or your glasses is commonplace: “It’s often a problem with attention.” explains Dr Remy Genthon, scientific director of the Alzheimer Research Foundation, to Journal des Femmes. True cognitive decline manifests itself through discreet changes, which we put down to fatigue, age or a slump, but which take hold over time.
For our interlocutor, the first sign of cognitive decline is often behavioral, not memory, “it’s a loss of reference in relation to what we know about ourselves, or about the person concerned”. For example: a once organized person who becomes disorderly, a card player who forgets the rules, someone punctual who misses their appointments… “These are not small, innocuous oversights, but changes in behavior that take hold and are repeated.“It is changes in the way of being, more than isolated forgettings, which must raise alarm.
When memory is affected due to cognitive decline, the person “will no longer remember a recent event, even when reminded, this shows that the encoding of the memory has not taken place”. Another striking point: some patients first present with language disorders. The words no longer come, or are replaced by others. In addition to these signs, others are added: the person gets lost in familiar places or shows a sudden disinterest in their activities. “Apathy, social withdrawal, a drop in motivation without marked sadness should also be a warning”adds the neurologist. These signals are often perceived by those around them before the patient himself.
The right reflex is to talk to the general practitioner about it. “He knows the patient and can distinguish between fatigue, anxiety, depression or real cognitive disorder”underlines Dr Genthon. Identifying disorders early allows you to adapt your lifestyle and preserve your quality of life for as long as possible. “We can already act on the aggravating factors: correct uncontrolled diabetes, treat hypertension, promote good sleep, encourage physical activity and social connections. All these elements directly influence brain health”insists the neurologist.
He also reminds us that there is no such thing as an unimportant “small sign”: “It’s not dramatic to talk to your doctor about it. It’s better to consult for nothing than to miss a real problem.” Finally, Dr Genthon encourages you to maintain your memory every day, without putting pressure on yourself: read, play, walk, talk, cook, garden, learn new things. “Anything that stimulates curiosity and motor skills is beneficial. The brain remains plastic throughout life: the more we use it, the more efficient it remains.”
