Changes in nails may be observed at ‘earliest stage’ of dementia

The authors add: “Dementia is often accompanied by skin lesions resulting from neglected hygiene, bedsore, exhortation, mycoses, bacteria wounds and itching.”

Sometimes skin lesions like itchy skin, cutaneous discolouration, and allergic reactions occur as a side effect of medication, however.

Considering dermatological aspects in various types of dementia syndromes, the following can be distinguished:

• Skin lesions resulting from neglected hygiene
• Itching
• Iatrogenic lesions
• Skin lesions that are a part of a syndrome with coexisting dementia
• Dementia-associated lesions of vascular origins
• Hair and nail disorders in Alzheimer’s disease
• Skin as the location of diagnostic indicators of dementia.