Study: Depression, anxiety may be first signs of Alzheimer's

Memory loss might not be the first identifiable sign of Alzheimer's disease. Washington University School of Medicine researchers found that depression and anxiety may be common early signs of the condition.

Of course, this doesn't mean that everyone experiencing depression or anxiety will develop Alzheimer's.

"We're just trying to get a better idea of what Alzheimer's looks like before people are even diagnosed with dementia," study author Catherine Roe told U.S. News and World Reports. "We're becoming more interested in symptoms occurring with Alzheimer's, but not what people typically think of."

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Other symptoms like apathy, appetite changes and irritability could also be linked to Alzheimer's, according to the Neurology study published Wednesday.