Researchers have discovered a potential red flag sign for Alzheimer's disease that is extremely debilitating for both the sufferer and their family. Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters A new study has found that failing to identify multiple objects and a "space perception deficit" could be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's disease. Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a condition that describes difficulty with judging distances as well as distinguishing between stationary and moving objects.
The condition also has people struggling with completing tasks such as writing , reports the Mirror . In a new study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco , a total of 94 per cent of those with PCA diagnosed had Alzheimer's pathology. Most PCA patients tend to have normal cognition in the beginning but by the time of their first diagnostic visit - which is an average of 3.
8 years after symptoms start - mild or moderate dementia was apparent. According to the research , deficits in executive function, memory, behaviour, speech and language were identified. And according to the study authors, the new PCA symptoms of sight and space detection issues are visible symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
These symptoms are apparent in up to 10 per cent of cases in this study - published in La.
