Dementia: The smelly warning sign that may precede memory loss by almost 10 years

19/02/2022

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Dementia is a syndrome – a collection of symptoms – associated with progressive brain decline. There are many types of dementia and they have differing sets of symptoms. This is an important insight because memory loss is not always the first warning sign.

This appears to be the case with Lewy body dementia – one of the most common types of dementia.

A study published in the journal Psychogeriatrics found olfactory dysfunction “preceded” the onset of memory loss by almost 10 years in patients with “probable” Lewy body dementia.

Olfactory dysfunction is defined as the reduced or distorted ability to smell during sniffing or eating.

For the study, researchers retrospectively investigated the clinical courses, including olfactory dysfunction of 90 patients with probable Lewy body dementia.

The timing of Lewy body dementia-related symptoms that preceded or followed relative to the onset of memory loss was calculated.

Lewy body dementia-related symptoms were present in 79 of 90 patients (87.8 percent) with probable Lewy body dementia before or at the time of memory loss onset.

“These symptoms preceded the onset of memory loss between 1.2 and 9.3 years,” the researchers found.

They concluded: “Further prospective study is warranted to determine the clinical significance of LB-related symptoms in non-demented patients.”

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People with Lewy body dementia may also have:

Hallucinations – seeing, hearing or smelling things that are not there
Problems with understanding, thinking, memory and judgement – this is similar to Alzheimer’s disease, although memory may be less affected in people with dementia with Lewy bodies
Confusion or sleepiness – this can change over minutes or hours
Slow movement, stiff limbs and tremors (uncontrollable shaking)
Disturbed sleep, often with violent movements and shouting out
Fainting spells, unsteadiness and falls.

These problems can make daily activities increasingly difficult and someone with the condition may eventually be unable to look after themselves.

How to respond

The NHS says: “See a GP if you think you have early symptoms of dementia, especially if you’re over 65 years of age.

“If you’re worried about someone else, encourage them to make an appointment with a GP and perhaps suggest that you go with them.”

As the health body explains, the GP can do some simple checks to try to find the cause of your symptoms and they can refer you to a memory clinic or another specialist for further tests if needed.

They’ll also ask if you’re finding it difficult to manage everyday activities such as:

Washing and dressing (personal care)
Cooking and shopping
Paying bills.

Am I at risk?

It is not exactly clear what causes Lewy body dementia, but a few factors seem to increase the risk of developing it.

“Those who have a family member with Lewy body dementia or Parkinson’s disease are at greater risk,” explains the Mayo Clinic.

Other risk factors include:

Age: people older than 60 are at greater risk
Sex: Lewy body dementia affects more men than women.

According to the NHS, dementia with Lewy bodies usually occurs in people with no family history of the condition, although there have been very rare cases that seem to run in families.

There are several dementia charities that offer further advice and support.

One of the main dementia charities is Alzheimer’s Society. Its website has information on all conditions that cause dementia, not just Alzheimer’s disease.

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