Dementia has been diagnosed in people in their 50s, 40s and even in their 30s. It is sometimes called early onset dementia. Younger onset dementia is similar to other types of dementia in many ways.
Young onset dementia is a diverse condition. It affects people aged 18 to 64. Dozens of different brain diseases can cause it. Young onset dementia can bring a range of life changes—and life adaptations, too.
In some instances, dementia symptoms can appear in the youngest of children and babies and progress quickly. While for other children, symptoms may not start until they are teenagers. Like dementia in adults, childhood dementia is progressive.
And around the world, there are 3.9 million people with young onset dementia. Many of those people have kids in their teens. And those kids are going through some of the same things you are.
However, not all people with MCI develop dementia. The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease worsen over time, although the rate at which the disease progresses varies. On average, a person with Alzheimer's lives four to eight years after diagnosis, but can live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors.
A 19-year-old teenager from China has been diagnosed with “probable” Alzheimer's disease, after having memory problems since the age of 17. If the diagnosis is correct, he will be the youngest person ever to be recorded with the disease.
For most people with Alzheimer's — those who have the late-onset variety — symptoms first appear in their mid-60s or later. When the disease develops before age 65, it's considered early-onset Alzheimer's, which can begin as early as a person's 30s, although this is rare.
In some instances, dementia symptoms can appear in the youngest of children and babies and progress quickly. While for other children like Angelina, symptoms may not start until they are teenagers. All children with dementia, however, face one common challenge: childhood dementia is progressive.
As the brain continues to grow throughout adolescence, this development will affect functionality in different parts of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex. Focus, planning, memory, and the control of social behaviors can become hit or miss due to the growth happening in the brain.
There are many reasons kids are forgetful, including stress and lack of sleep. Being hungry can also have a big impact. But sometimes when kids have trouble remembering information, they may be struggling with a skill called working memory.
As of 2020, it is estimated that around 700,000 children around the world are currently living with childhood dementia, which is caused by more than seventy different genetic conditions. Childhood dementia can be diagnosed during infancy and in children aged up to 18.
Childhood Alzheimer's is not an actual medical condition. It is a name some people use when referring to symptoms that affect children and that resemble symptoms of dementia. Two conditions that cause such symptoms are NPC and MPS 3, or Sanfilippo syndrome, which are rare genetic disorders.
Administration: The examiner reads a list of 5 words at a rate of one per second, giving the following instructions: “This is a memory test. I am going to read a list of words that you will have to remember now and later on. Listen carefully. When I am through, tell me as many words as you can remember.
Many people affected by dementia are concerned that they may inherit or pass on dementia. The majority of dementia is not inherited by children and grandchildren. In rarer types of dementia there may be a strong genetic link, but these are only a tiny proportion of overall cases of dementia.
The Mini-Cog test.
A third test, known as the Mini-Cog, takes 2 to 4 minutes to administer and involves asking patients to recall three words after drawing a picture of a clock. If a patient shows no difficulties recalling the words, it is inferred that he or she does not have dementia.
One part of the body affected by anxiety and stress is the nervous system, which plays a primary role in basic functions like memory and learning. As a result, persistent anxiety and memory loss are associated.
People with ADHD often don't do well on tests of long-term memory. But scientists believe that has to do with how they process information. When you have ADHD, distractions may prevent you from taking in information, or your brain may store it in a disorganized way.
After reading, you may find it almost impossible to retain the information acquired. It may be due to lack of adequate sleep and rest, distractions while reading, poor nutrition, failure to choose the right book, or memory issues such as decay or shallow processing.
Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behavior and feelings can be affected.
Examples: Acetazolamide (Diamox), carbamazepine (Tegretol), gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), levetiracetam (Keppra), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), pregabalin (Lyrica), rufinamide (Banzel), topiramate (Topamax), valproic acid (Depakote) and zonisamide (Zonegran).
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a tool that helps healthcare professionals detect mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease in people. A 2021 study found that it is a better measure of cognitive function than the MMSE. It consists of 30 questions that take 10–12 minutes to accomplish.
The faulty gene is passed down directly from a parent who has the disease to their child, it does not skip generations. So far, three genes have been linked to young onset inherited Alzheimer's disease. These genes are called: amyloid precursor protein (APP)
People with symptoms of dementia are given tests to check their mental abilities, such as memory or thinking. These tests are known as cognitive assessments, and may be done initially by a GP. There are several different tests. A common one used by GPs is the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG).