Symptoms usually begin with memory loss, especially of recent events. For instance, the person will repeat stories in the same conversation. In the early stages, Alzheimer's patients cannot learn new information. The symptoms may include misplacing objects or becoming lost in familiar neighborhoods.

As the disease progresses, people with Alzheimer's disease become increasingly confused and disoriented. Some cannot find words in conversation, and cover by using automatic phrases and clichés. Another common symptom is personality and behavioral changes such as unusual agitation, depression, and paranoia. Judgement and common sense increasingly become impaired.

Eventually patients forget how to perform simple tasks, like combing their hair or brushing their teeth. They often lose the ability to recognize faces and objects. Even well remembered information, such as the names of children, is wiped off the memory's blackboard. Personality changes are more distinctive-ranging from progressive passivity to marked agitation. About half of patients have paranoid delusions, such as thinking that caregivers or family members are imposters or that their home is not their real home.

About 20-30 percent of Alzheimer's patients develops symptoms such as slow movement and trembling. Seizures occur in 10-20 percent of patients, often late in the disease. Unfortunately, at least in early stages, many people fail to recognize these symptoms as something wrong. They may mistakenly assume that such behavior is a normal part of the aging process; it isn't. Symptoms may develop gradually and go unnoticed for a long time. Some people don't act even when they know something is wrong.

It is important to see a physician when you recognize or suspect Alzheimer's symptoms. Only a physician can properly diagnose the person's condition, which could be a treatable form of dementia. Even if the diagnosis is Alzheimer's disease, new treatments are available for patients as is assistance for caregivers.