As age advances, the body gradually ages, and if the aging process accelerates without maintaining good habits, it may lead to a decline in the function of certain organs.
For some elderly people, the speed of neurodegenerative changes in the brain may accelerate, potentially triggering dementia. During the onset of the disease, various symptoms are prominent, and as cognitive impairment occurs, it progresses through different stages over time.
It is necessary to understand the specific circumstances and seize the best treatment opportunity to reduce the impact of cognitive impairment on brain function.
1. Mild Cognitive Impairment
As brain function declines, many stages need to be experienced, and as the disease progresses, the decline in brain function becomes more apparent.
Initially, there may be mild cognitive impairment, where the brain function starts to decline, appearing similar to usual, but with some distinctive features.
For example, there may be an accelerated forgetting of things over a short period, frequent recent event forgetfulness, inability to recall the whereabouts of things, or forgetting some people’s names. These mild cognitive impairments are difficult to detect, often considered normal signs of aging.
2. Mild Cognitive Impairment
As brain function progresses to the second stage, cognitive impairment becomes more pronounced, starting as very mild cognitive impairment.
As the condition develops, there may be mild cognitive impairment, where the patient’s cognitive abilities are reduced, leading to difficulties in social interactions, impaired communication, and reduced expressive abilities.
Additionally, emotional changes may occur, such as emotional detachment, suspicion, sudden mood swings, which are features of the gradual decline in brain function, requiring early intervention.
3. Moderate Cognitive Impairment
By the third stage of brain cognitive impairment, moderate cognitive impairment sets in, with the patient’s ability to handle complex tasks diminishing, inability to think independently, and even normal life being affected.
Assistance from others is needed in dressing and personal hygiene aspects; otherwise, the individual may appear unkempt, neglecting the importance of maintaining a good personal image, requiring reminders from others to complete many tasks well.
These changes indicate a more severe cognitive impairment, signaling further progression.
4. Severe Cognitive Impairment
In the later stages of brain cognitive impairment, there will be clear signs of significant decline in brain function, accompanied by other physical symptoms.
Memory capacity significantly decreases, possibly not recognizing family and friends, even experiencing urinary and fecal incontinence, exhibiting various compulsive behaviors, and showing emotional changes like anxiety, paranoia, and suspicion in unfamiliar environments.
When these features appear, it indicates a significant decline in brain function, a characteristic of cognitive impairment that requires early treatment to control disease progression, avoiding a significant threat to the patient’s health.
