Stage 2: A Subtle Shift: Very Mild Cognitive Decline
Subtle changes mark the second stage of FTD. It’s a phase where the silent footsteps of the disorder start to become audible. Small instances, such as misplacing items, forgetting appointments, or struggling to find the right words, begin to make their presence felt. But they are often dismissed as momentary lapses, or perhaps signs of stress or normal aging.
At this stage, the cognitive shifts are not dramatic. They might not interfere significantly with daily life or work, but they are noticeable. It’s as if the person has stumbled upon an unfamiliar path within the terrain of their own mind. Tasks that were once performed with ease might require a bit more effort, or there could be unexplained instances of confusion or forgetfulness.
While the person might brush off these incidents, their frequency or pattern might raise eyebrows among the people closest to them. It could be a spouse noticing the person’s increased forgetfulness or a co-worker observing their decreased productivity. These are the minute indicators, the slight warning bells ringing on the periphery of the person’s cognitive landscape.
This phase, though marked by subtle cognitive decline, might often lead to a web of self-rationalizations. For the person experiencing these changes, the instinctive response might be to attribute them to fatigue, stress, or age. But these are not mere benign manifestations. They are the first whispers of the disorder, the initial signs that something isn’t quite right.
In retrospect, stage two may be seen as the crossroads. It’s a point where one might perceive the first inklings of cognitive change. Though these signs may be brushed aside initially, they are often the preliminary markers leading to a diagnosis, painting the first discernible strokes in the picture of Frontotemporal Dementia. (2)
