Early onset Alzheimer’s-Causes,Diagnosis
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder in which nerve cells in the brain (neurons) degenerate and die, making it difficult for the brain’s signals to be transmitted properly. A person with Alzheimer’s disease has problems with memory, judgment and thinking, which makes it hard for the person to work or take part in day-to-day family and social life. Changes in mood, personality and behavior also may occur.
This is a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease in which people are diagnosed with the disease before age 65. Less than 10% of all Alzheimer’s disease patients have this type. Because they experience premature aging, people with Down syndrome are particularly at risk for a form of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Adults with Down syndrome are often in their mid- to late 40s or early 50s when symptoms first appear.
How common is early-onset Alzheimer’s?
Of all the people who have Alzheimer’s, only 6 percent to 8 percent develop symptoms before age 65. So if 4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, around 300,000 people have the early-onset form of the disease.
What causes it?
It often runs in families. Many people with early-onset Alzheimer’s have a parent or grandparent who also developed Alzheimer’s at a younger age. A significant proportion of early-onset Alzheimer’s is linked to three genes. These three genes are different from the apo E gene, which can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s in general. But you can have the apo E gene and never develop Alzheimer’s.
Symptoms
The symptoms of early onset dementia are serious. The sense of loss for the person with younger onset dementia and their family can be enormous. Unplanned loss of income, if the main earner was the person with dementia, can be a major problem for the family. The loss of income can be made worse by the loss of the self esteem that usually comes with working, and the loss of a purpose in life. Future plans, perhaps for travel or time with children and grandchildren are no longer viable. Children may react differently to the disease, but are likely to have strong reactions.
Does Early Onset Alzheimer’s Progress at a Faster Rate?
Alzheimer’s disease is degenerative, meaning that it gets worse as time goes on. The rate at which it progresses is different for everyone. There seems to be a common misconception that early onset Alzheimer’s progresses faster than normal, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. Hard data from actual research on patients does not support the thought that it will progress faster than any normal case of Alzheimer’s.
Diagnosis
Individuals with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease will exhibit many of the same symptoms as those whose disease appears later in life. Forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty completing simple tasks, problems with communication and personality changes are among the possible experiences that may be encountered. Anyone who has this combination of symptoms should see a physician as soon as possible.
