Dementia definition, signs & symptoms: increasingly dark sense of humor an early indicator of dementia?

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A person's sense of humor can be indicative of early stage dementia, according to a new study.

Frontotemporal dementia reportedly affects the part of the brain associated to personality and behavior which is why patients have a darker sense of humor, according to researchers from University College London.

The results were detailed in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease in which the team surveyed the family and friends of 48 dementia patients. According to The Guardian, the relatives noted that the patients began to laugh at very inappropriate humor prior to being diagnosed with dementia.

"Early on, [they] laughed very loudly at things that were only mildly funny, flippant or over the top; now [they] laugh all the time at things that are not particularly funny and will say 'I'm laughing and I'm not sure why I'm laughing'," a relative wrote, as reported by the outlet. "When I badly scalded myself the other year, [they] thought it was hilarious."

It was also taken note that most of the patients find very obvious humor to be more funny such as slapstick comedy than satire.

A relative wrote that their diagnosed loved ones now only laughs at graphic jokes or rude ones.

"[They have] little sense of humor at all, does not really find anything funny but will give a silly laugh or sneer when totally inappropriate," one wrote.

According to an expert from Alzheimer's Research UK, for people who are noticing behavioral changes, a visit to their doctor should be in order because symptoms of dementia are not limited to memory loss.

"While memory loss is often the first thing that springs to mind when we hear the word dementia, this study highlights the importance of looking at the myriad different symptoms that impact on daily life and relationships", Dr. Simon Ridley told the Independent. "A deeper understanding of the full range of dementia symptoms will increase our ability to make a timely and accurate diagnosis".

Dementia is a blanket term used to describe a range of symptoms that affects the brain and its processes. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease which accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases, according to Alzheimer's Association. According to Nature World Report, frontotemporal dementia is a rare form of the disease and is among two types (along with semantic dementia) of the condition which has symptoms that affect humor and behavior.