"The earliest symptoms of neurocognitive disorder, or mild dementia, are often mistaken for normal aging, depression or anxiety," says Thomas C.

"Subtle personality changes are probably the most commonly missed early symptom in dementia," says Hammond.

Changes in mood are also a sign of dementia that are commonly missed, says Hammond.

A person with dementia might become apathetic, losing interest in activities they had formerly enjoyed.

"As the memory problems pick up, the individual with early dementia will leave tasks incomplete, avoid complex games and projects and give up the financial management (like the checkbook) to a spouse or partner," says Hammond. .

An often ignored sign of dementia is stocking up items the person doesn't actually need, says Jared Heathman, MD, a family psychiatrist in Houston.

Problems with language are a common sign of dementia, but they may be subtle and not easily noticed.

Words may escape a person with dementia, and they may use substitutions or talk around the word they've having trouble recalling.

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms, "It's important to pursue a thorough evaluation to identify such concerns and address them," says Scott Kaiser, MD, a board-certified geriatrician and director of geriatric cognitive health for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California