A change in your sense of humor can be a sign of dementia

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We are all different, and our sense of humor may not be the same either. It doesn't matter. But if something changes that makes you smile and laugh, you should start worrying and go to the doctor. Studies have shown that such processes may indicate the initial stage of dementia.

Everyone knows that laughter is the best medicine. But researchers argue that a change in sense of humor can be a worrying sign. If you have loved highly intelligent British humor all your life, and lately have laughed at the issues of "Crooked Mirror", you should start worrying and go to the doctor. Perhaps you are developing.

Scientists from University College London have made a discovery: people whose sense of humor has changed with age are likely to suffer from the initial stage of dementia, usually of the front-temporal type.

Frontotemporal dementia is the most common form of acquired dementia among people 50 years of age and older. Unlike Alzheimer's disease, which has more pronounced symptoms, it is more difficult to recognize frontotemporal dementia. She has no discernible signs, and memory or mood problems are not clear markers.

As shown, changes in the sense of humor may indicate the development of Alzheimer's disease.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Camilla Clark asked friends and family of forty-eight people with various forms of dementia and Alzheimer's to fill out a series of questionnaires asking about their family's sense of humor. It was necessary to evaluate the sympathy of a relative for different genres of humor: farce, sitcom, satire and absurdity. In addition, participants were asked to indicate whether their loved one’s sense of humor had changed over the past 15 years, before dementia was diagnosed. Situations when his / her jokes were inappropriate or too indecent also had to be noted in the questionnaire.

Compared to healthy people, people with frontotemporal dementia or Alzheimer's are more likely to have oddities in their sense of humor. For example, they may laugh at things that others do not find fun at all, as well as at tragic moments in their personal or social life.

In addition, scientists have found that people with frontotemporal dementia or Alzheimer's prefer farce (such as "Mr. Bean") to other forms of comedy. The least of all they are amused by the absurdist humor and satire.

The most important discovery of scientists concerns the timing of the manifestation of such an unexpected symptom. Relatives and friends noted that they had observed changes in the sense of humor of loved ones nine years before they began to show the most prominent signs of dementia.

The researchers believe the results of their experiment will lead to a better diagnosis of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Changes in sense of humor can now be viewed as a potential indicator of early disease.

The results of the study are important for diagnosis. Not only patients need to be aware of them - in order to sound the alarm in time, doctors also need to be more aware of such symptoms as early signs of dementia.

Even the slightest change in what we find funny is the key to diagnosis. Humor can be a very sensitive indicator of dementia, as it has a wide range of effects on various brain functions, altering analytic ability, emotional background, and communication skills.

Dr. Camilla Clarke

Dr. Simon Ridley, director of the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK, believes the research findings are not only important, but critical to diagnosing the disease. Moreover, he also encourages broader research into changes in sense of humor in order to speed up the diagnosis process and learn how to prescribe treatment for patients with early dementia.

Since dementia and Alzheimer's are the most common cognitive disorders in older adults, it is important to be aware of this subtle symptom. Other signs of the disease appear when the treatment is already ineffective. The sooner we notice the problem, the better, so watch yourself and your loved ones, pay attention to the cardinal changes in their outlook.