Early Sign of Dementia Could be Inability to Recognize Famous Figures

While grandma's inability to recognize that wax figure of Marilyn Monroe at Madame Tussauds might be the least of your concerns if she indeed is suffering from early signs of dementia, a new study shows that this could be one of the many first symptoms to look for if cognitive degeneration is starting to ensue.

Dementia, a non-specific disease that affects the brain, can greatly disrupt the daily life of those living with the disorder.

The most common form of Dementia, Alzheimer's, or a more general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities, is estimated to cause 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases, affecting an estimated 5.1 million people in the United States according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"These tests also differentiate between recognizing a face and actually naming it, which can help identify the specific type of cognitive impairment a person has," said Tamar Gefen, MS, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and one of the study authors, via a press release.

The study looked at 30 people who had possible early symptoms of Dementia. They were shown pictures of 20 famous people, including Elvis Presley, Einstein and Princess Diana and even given clues that could potentially be able to help them more easily identify the famous individuals. Brain scans were also taken of all participants.

Study results showed the average score was 79 percent in recognition of famous faces and 46 percent in naming them compared to 97 percent in recognition and 93 percent on naming scored by people without the condition.

"In addition to its practical value in helping us identify people with early dementia, this test also may help us understand how the brain works to remember and retrieve its knowledge of words and objects," Gefen said, via the release.

More information regarding the study can be found in the journal Neurology.