Changes in humour an early sign of dementia

Researchers at UCL have revealed that a change in sense of humour could be an early sign of dementia. The findings could help improve dementia diagnosis, by highlighting changes not commonly thought to be linked to the condition. The research team was particularly interested in how sense of humour can change in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease. While Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia, frontotemporal dementia is the most common cause of dementia in the under-55s. Unlike in Alzheimer's, memory difficulties are not an early indicator of FTD. Rather, people tend to experience behaviour and personality changes before they develop problems with memory. The research team wanted to explore these behavioural symptoms, to reveal early clues of underlying brain changes and aid diagnosis.