Penza called three subtle signs of incipient dementia

The insidiousness of dementia is that its first bells are easily mistaken for banal fatigue or natural aging. The brain begins to give signals long before a person forgets the name of a loved one. In modern neuroscience, it is no longer considered an isolated organ. It’s part of a huge metabolic system that consumes a quarter of the body’s energy. Therefore, any failures in nutrition or chronic inflammation hit him first. Experts distinguish three subtle symptoms that cannot be ignored.

The first is loss of ease of movement and problems with balance. Slow walking can occur years before the first memory problems. With microdamage of blood vessels, the brain goes into saving mode. It artificially inhibits nerve impulses to reduce energy costs. If you find it more difficult to keep balance or the usual step slowed down, do not blame it on age. This is a signal of a drop in neural conduction.

The second is changes in the sense of smell. The olfactory bulbs are the first to contact the external environment and toxins. If your favorite perfume has lost its brightness and the food seems tasteless, it may be an early sign of amyloid plaque buildup. Many people mistakenly associate this with a cold, wasting time.

The third is sleep problems. Night rest is a time of active brain cleansing. In the deep phase of sleep, the glymphatic system is activated, which flushes out the toxic protein beta-amyloid. If you sleep superficially or often wake up broken, this process is disrupted. Toxins accumulate, creating a fertile ground for dementia.

The brain is a part of the body. Ignoring these “yellow cards” in the form of a shaky gait, weak smell or insomnia, we lose years of active life. A balanced diet, sugar control and movement are the main insurance against cognitive decline.