DEMENTIA is often thought of as a condition that only affects old people.
That’s hardly surprising, considering one in six people over the age of 80 develop the bran robbing disease.
GettySymptoms of early-onset dementia can begin as young as 30[/caption]
But younger people are also vulnerable – with almost 3.9million people worldwide aged 30-64 suffering with early-onset Alzheimer’s – a form of dementia.
English journalist Fiona Phillips, 62, recently revealed that she’d been diagnosed with it.
Symptoms, usually begin much earlier – as young as 30 in some rare case, Prof Mark Dallas of neuroscience at the University of Reading, said.
Although it’s typically diagnosed much later; between the ages of 50-64.
While people with the disease commonly experience memory loss as the first sign of the disease, people with young-onset Alzheimer’s tend to have other symptoms.
This includes a worse attention span, which people might notice while at work.
Sufferers may also find they struggle to mimic hand gestures and notice worsening spatial awareness.
“Some people with young-onset Alzheimer’s may also experience an increase in anxiety,” the expert wrote in The Coversation.
“This may be due to an awareness of the changes occurring, without a clear reason as to why they’re feeling different,” he explained.
The symptoms can often mask as something more general, like tiredness, which can put people off seeking medical help.
“Healthcare professionals may also misinterpret anxiety as a sign of other health conditions,” Prof Mark said.
Research shows that people with young-onset Alzheimer’s are also more aware of the changes in their brain activity.
“This can lead to behavioural changes – with conditions such as depression being prevalent in this group,” the expert said.
Other signs of the condition include:
memory lossdifficulty concentratingfinding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shoppingstruggling to follow a conversation or find the right wordbeing confused about time and placemood changes
Different types of dementia can affect people differently, and everyone will experience symptoms in their own way.
Two new drugs, named donanemab and lecanemab, have been proven to slow the disease in older people — heralding a new era where it could become treatable.
The potentially game-changing drug is still in its trial phase, so until it becomes readily available catching the disease early promises the best outcomes.
Do I have dementia?
Experts have devised a simple test that could be used to spot dementia nearly a decade before doctors notice symptoms.
Cambridge University experts say simple tests which test basic memory could be used to screen people and start treatment earlier.
Both tests rely on subtle differences that could easily be missed.