A study conducted at the University of California in the United States discovered a characteristic that could be a sign of dementia.

According to researchers, people with a type of neurodegenerative disease called frontotemporal dementia (FTD) may not notice sarcasm and lying in dialogue.

Being aware and understanding this aspect can help reach a diagnosis sooner.

Details about the study

This discovery came after participants were asked to watch videos of the interactions.

The study included 175 participants – 103 of whom had some form of dementia and 72 of whom did not. They needed to evaluate videos with dialogue.

The people having these conversations were often downright sarcastic.

After being asked yes or no questions about what they saw, the researchers measured the participants' responses against maps of the structure of their brains.

Discoveries

Scientists found that people with Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) had difficulty recognizing sarcasm.

However, people with frontotemporal dementia tend to have more difficulty recognizing sarcasm.

What is frontotemporal dementia?

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a type of dementia that mainly affects areas of the brain known as the frontal and temporal lobes.

These areas play important roles in behavior, personality, and language.

according to Alzheimer's AssociationIn the early stage of frontotemporal dementia, behavior changes or speech problems may appear separately.

However, as the disease progresses, these symptoms increasingly overlap.

Unlike Alzheimer's disease, people with frontotemporal dementia usually remain aware of time (for example, what year it is), and memory is not a cause for concern in the early stages.

In the later stages, general symptoms of dementia appear, including confusion and forgetfulness. Motor skills are lost and difficulties in swallowing occur.