When people think about Alzheimer’s disease, the most common symptom that comes to mind is loss of memory. While it is true that memory retention and memory recall can be affected by dementia diseases, it’s not the only symptom and it may not be the most serious loss.
Here are a few more losses that greatly affect a person with dementia. While most of us know the basic senses – sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing – and all of these are affected by dementia, we have other senses that are processed in the brain. When the brain is damaged by dementia, these senses are affected:
• Proprioception – Where your body parts are and what they are doing
• Nociception – Feeling pain
• Thermoception – Sensing temperature
• Chronoception – Sensing the passage of time
• Interoception – Internal needs, such as hunger or thirst
As you care for someone with a dementia disease, it is helpful to know that these senses aren’t being processed properly. It helps explain why someone is always cold, or doesn’t drink enough, or realize that they have a physical problem that should be causing pain.
