Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-21T14:39:17.472Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Early onset dementia: clinical and social aspects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2009

Perla Werner ,
Ifat Stein-Shvachman  and
Amos D. Korczyn
Perla Werner*
Affiliation:
Department of Gerontology, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel
Ifat Stein-Shvachman
Affiliation:
Department of Gerontology, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel
Amos D. Korczyn
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Tel Aviv University, Israel
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Perla Werner, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel. Phone: +972-4-8249950; Fax: +972-4-8249946. Email: werner@research.haifa.ac.il.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Increasing efforts are being devoted to the study of early onset dementia (EOD), namely dementia in persons under the age of 65. Until recently, it was assumed that dementia occurs primarily among people aged 65 and over. However, since the number of persons with EOD is increasing, its importance as a clinical and social problem is rising accordingly. The aim of the present paper is to summarize research in this area.

Methods: We reviewed the research published to date on EOD, and divided the current body of knowledge into several main sections.

Results: The first section focuses on clinical aspects and summarizes findings regarding prevalence, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and management of persons with EOD. The second section focuses on social aspects related to the cost of care for young people with the disease, the challenges faced by individuals and caregivers, and the services available for this population. Finally, conclusions and future directions are suggested.

Conclusions: Research on EOD is still in its early stages. There is an urgent need to expand research that will lead to more effective diagnosis and management of EOD as well as to the allocation of funds and the development of appropriate services suitable for the unique needs of young people with dementia.

Keywords

dementiaearly onsetclinicalsocietal
Type
Review Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , August 2009 , pp. 631 - 636
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alzheimer's Association (2006). Early Onset Dementia: A National Challenge, A Future Crisis. Available at: http://www.alz.org/documents/national/earlyonsetreport_full_report.pdf (last accessed 28 November 2007).Google Scholar
Arai, A., Matsumoto, T., Ikeda, M. and Arai, Y. (2007). Do family caregivers perceive more difficulty when they look after patients with early onset dementia compared to those with late onset dementia? International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22, 1255–1261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bentham, P. and Fontaine, J. L. (2005). Services for younger people with dementia. Psychiatry, 4, 100–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Filley, C. M., Kelly, J. and Heaton, R. K. (1986). Neuropsychologic features of early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Archives of Neurology, 43, 574–576.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Filley, C. M. et al. (2007). The genetics of very early onset Alzheimer disease. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, 20, 149–156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freyne, A., Kidd, N., Coen, R. and Lawlor, B. A. (1999). Burden in carers of dementia patients: higher levels in carers of younger sufferers. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 14, 784–788.3.0.CO;2-2>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fujihara, S., Brucki, S. M., Rocha, M. S., Carvalho, A. A. and Picccolo, A. C. (2004). Prevalence of presenile dementia in a tertiary outpatient clinic. Arquivos De Neuropsiquatria, 62, 592–595.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gomez-Tortosa, E., Ingraham, A. O., Irizarry, M. C. and Hyman, B. T. (1998). Dementia with Lewy bodies. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 46, 1449–1458.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greicius, M. D., Geschwind, M. D. and Miller, B. L. (2002). Presenile dementia syndromes: an update on taxonomy and diagnosis. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 72, 691–700.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haase, T. (2005). Early-onset Dementia: The Needs of Younger People with Dementia in Ireland. Available at: http://www.alzheimer.ie/pdf/earlyOnsetDementia.pdf (last accessed 1 December 2007).Google Scholar
Harris, P. B. and Keady, J. (2004). Living with early onset dementia. Alzheimer's Care Quarterly, 5, 111–122.Google Scholar
Harvey, R. J., Rossor, M. N., Skelton-Robinson, M. and Garralda, E. (1998). Young Onset Dementia: Epidemiology, Clinical Symptoms, Family Burden, Support, and Outcome. Available at: http://home.kosha.net/~h1415c/report.pdf (last accessed 28 November 2007).Google Scholar
Harvey, R. J., Skelton-Robinson, M. and Rosser, M. N. (2003). The prevalence and causes of dementia in people under the age of 65 years. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 74, 1206–1209.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoffman, A. et al. (1991). The prevalence of dementia in Europe: a collaborative study of 1980–1990 findings. International Journal of Epidemiology, 20, 736–748.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Irish College of Psychiatrists (2003). Section for the Psychiatry of Old Age, Irish College of Psychiatrists, Submission to the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy. Available at: http://www.irishpsychiatry.com/oldagepoldoc.pdf (last accessed 28 November 2007).Google Scholar
Kaiser, S. and Panegyres, P. K. (2007). The psychosocial impact of young onset dementia on spouses. American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, 21, 398–402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knopman, D. S., Petersen, R. C., Cha, R. H., Edland, S. D. and Rocca, W. A. (2006). Incidence and causes of nondegenerative nonvascular dementia: a population-based study. Archives of Neurology, 63, 218–221.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koedam, E. L. et al. (2008). Early-onset dementia is associated with higher mortality. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 26, 147–152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Licht, E. A., McMurtray, A. M., Saul, R. E. and Mendez, M. F. (2007). Cognitive differences between early-and late-onset Alzheimer's disease. American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, 22, 218–222.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Loring, D. W. and Largen, J. W. (1985). Neuropsychological patterns of presenile and senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. Neuropsychologia, 23, 351–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luscombe, G., Brodaty, H. and Freeth, S. (1998). Younger people with dementia: diagnostic issues, effects on carers and use of services. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 13, 323–330.3.0.CO;2-O>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mayeux, R., Stern, Y., and Spanton, S. (1985). Heterogeneity in dementia of the Alzheimer's type: evidence of subgroups. Neurology, 35, 453–461.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McMurtray, A., Clark, D. G., Christine, D. and Mendez, M. F. (2006). Early-onset dementia: frequency and causes compared to late-onset dementia. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 21, 59–64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McMurtray, A. M., Licht, E., Yeo, T., Krisztal, E., Saul, R. E. and Mendez, M. F. (2008). Positron emission tomography facilitates diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. European Neurology, 59, 31–37.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mendez, M. F. (2006). The accurate diagnosis of early-onset dementia. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 36, 401–412.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mercy, L., Hodges, J. R., Dawson, K., Barker, R. A. and Brayne, C. (2008). Incidence of early-onset dementia in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. Neurology, 71, 1496–1499.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moore, P. and Buss, L. (2004). A Review of Early Onset Dementia Services in Southampton. Available at: http://www.marc.soton.ac.uk/PDF%20Files/Early%20Onset%20Final%20version10%2011%205%2004.pdf (last accessed 28 November 2007).Google Scholar
Nyenhuis, D. L. and Gorelick, P. B. (1998). Vascular dementia: a contemporary review of epidemiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 46, 1437–1448.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Panegyres, P. K. and Frencham, K. (2007). Course and causes of suspected dementia in young adults: a longitudinal study. American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, 22, 48–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raman, A., Lin, X., Suri, M., Hewitt, M., Contanitnescu, C. S. and Phillips, N.F. (2007). A presenilin 1 mutation (Arg278Ser) associated with early onset Alzheimer's disease and spastic paraparesis. Journal of Neurological Sciences, 260, 78–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ratnavalli, E., Brayne, C., Dawson, K. and Hodges, J. R. (2002). The prevalence of frontotemporal dementia. Neurology, 58, 1615–1621.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sampson, E. L., Warren, J. D. and Rossor, M. N. (2004). Young onset dementia. Postgraduate Medicine Journal, 80, 125–139.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schutte, D. L. (2006). Alzheimer's disease and genetics: anticipating the questions. American Journal of Nursing, 106 (12), 40–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shinagawa, S. et al. (2007). Frequency and clinical characteristics of early-onset dementia in consecutive patients in a memory clinic. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 24, 42–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Treves, T. et al. (1986). Presenile dementia in Israel. Archives of Neurology, 43, 26–29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whalley, L. J. (2001). Early-onset Alzheimer's disease in Scotland: environmental and familial factors. British Journal of Psychiatry, 178 (Suppl. 40), S53–S59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, T., Dearden, A. M. and Cameron, I. H. (2001). From pillar to post: a study of younger people with dementia. Psychiatric Bulletin, 25, 384–387.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yokota, O. et al. (2005). Frequency of early and late-onset dementias in a Japanese memory disorders clinic. European Journal of Neurology, 12, 782–790.CrossRefGoogle Scholar