Signals of Senility

• Abstract reasoning becomes more concrete

  • Conversation less subtle, vocabulary shrinks
  • Extemporizes with stereotyped expressions

• Subtle difficulty with new facts

  • Covers lapses of memory glibly
  • Seems absent-minded

• New difficulties with geographic orientation

• Subtle changes in gait

  • Feet tend to strike (scissoring)
  • Difficulty arranging feet or body when doing combined movements (apraxia)

• Example: Ronald Reagan's second term

Notes: