A new study published in the Journal for Alzheimer's Disease found that a dark sense of humor could be linked to dementia, according to The Independent. The study recruited 48 patients with frontotemporal dementia and examined ratings of their enjoyment of different kinds of humor obtained from their friends and relatives.
The findings showed that nearly all of the friends and relatives noticed a chance in the patients' sense of humor within the nine years preceding dementia.
"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 of different symptoms that impact on daily life and relationships," said Camilla Clark, lead author of the study. "A deeper understanding of the full range of dementia symptoms will increase our ability to make a timely and accurate diagnosis."
The findings suggest that the patients laughed at inappropriate moments more often, such as news reporst about natural disasters or loved ones hurting themselves, according to The Guardian.
"[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," said one of the relatives.
It found an altered sense of humor is especially common in tandem with two types of dementia: semantic dementia, and a variety of frontotemporal dementia that tends to cause patients to lose their inhibitions and struggle in social situations, according to The Guardian. This change in humor was also frequently found in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Despite the promise of the findings, the researchers say that more work must be conducted in order to fully understand the connection between the reported changes in humor and dementia, according to CBS News.
