Khaberni - Early signs of dementia are rarely clear, as they do not appear in the form of forgotten names or lost keys, but rather as subtle changes in language and cognition, such as limited vocabulary diversity, monotonous style, and reduced use of descriptive adjectives.
Recent research suggests that these indicators may be detectable years before an official diagnosis, as is evident from studying the novels of the late British writer Terry Pratchett, creator of the "Discworld" series.
Pratchett, who was later diagnosed with a rare condition called posterior cortical atrophy, was not only a fictional and satirical writer but also became an advocate for dementia research and awareness later on. Less known is the fact that signs of the disease may have begun to appear in his writings before he was aware of his condition.
Researchers, according to "Science Alert", focus on how early stages of dementia might affect attention, cognition, and language before memory problems become apparent, and these changes are often confused with stress or normal aging, complicating early detection.
The research team used linguistic analysis in Pratchett's novels over many years, focusing on "lexical diversity" and the richness of descriptive adjectives that reflect depth and imagination in the text. They found that a gradual decrease in the use of adjectives began to appear in the novel "The Last Continent", about ten years before the official diagnosis of the writer.
The findings indicate that the pre-clinical stage of dementia may begin many years before obvious symptoms appear, opening an important window for early detection and intervention in the disease, which is crucial as new drugs targeting amyloid proteins to reduce disease progression emerge.
More than a decade after Terry Pratchett's death, his novels remain a reference not only for fiction and satire but also for understanding dementia and its early stages, affirming that paying attention to language can change the way we detect and treat this devastating disease.
