Early onset dementia

[1] Early onset dementia is a general term that describes a group of conditions featuring progressive cognitive decline, particularly in the domains of executive function, learning, language, memory, or behavior.

The term dementia is syndrome in which its main component is memory loss and cognitive impairment effecting the individual’s ability to cope with daily activities.

[3] Recent studies estimate the prevalence of early onset dementia to be approximately 3.55 million people aged 30–64 worldwide, and will triple by 2050.

[1] Additionally, there is approximately a 1:1 ratio in prevalence of early onset dementia between males and females, with no significant difference between ethnic groups in gender distribution pattern.

It is hypothesized that this may be due to decreased cognitive reserve seen in late onset dementias, causing more significant complications relative to pathological damage.

In terms of behavioral symptoms, early onset dementia is more likely to affect attention, but less likely to cause confusion, delusions, hallucinations, agitation, or disinhibition.

Several other chronic conditions have recently been identified that are also associated with the development of early onset dementia, including cardiovascular, respiratory, or gastrointestinal disease.

Furthermore, the diagnosis of early onset dementia continues to be challenging due to the wide range of symptoms at presentation and increased likelihood of not considering neurodegenerative causes in this population.

The World Health Organization promotes the importance of rehabilitation services (including cognitive, psychological, physical and social support) to improve the quality of life of those with dementia.

[11] Average survival time is approximately 6–10 years following diagnosis for both men and women, with variability depending on specific type of dementia.