A 19-year-old may be youngest ever diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease

On Jan. 31, the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease published the findings of scientists from Xuanwu hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, which reported that a 19-year-old patient from Beijing was diagnosed with “probable” Alzheimer’s disease. 

The patient had difficulties concentrating and memory loss at 17 years old, and doctors examining him concluded that he fit the diagnostic criteria for the disease. Despite having cognitively normal cerebrospinal fluid, the patient exhibited mild brain atrophy, which met the diagnostic criteria for the condition. 

The patient had no family history of the disease, head trauma, or any disease that could explain his diminished cognitive ability. 

The patient experienced memory loss and problems concentrating at school for two years, and his memory decline resulted in frequent loss of belongings, forgetfulness of previous day events, trouble reading, delayed reactions, and forgetting whether he had eaten. 

Eventually, the patient had to withdraw from high school. The young patient was administered the widely used World Health Organization-University of California Los Angeles Auditory Verbal Learning Test, which indicated significant memory impairment.

Young-onset dementia

About 2% to 8% of all dementia cases, which is referred to as young-onset dementia by the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, are accounted for by this condition. 

There are approximately 28,000 Canadians under the age of 65 who are living with young-onset dementia. Although Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia that affects memory, thinking, and behavior, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease is considered rare as it only represents 5-10% of all known cases. 

The degenerative disease mainly affects older adults, which makes this case extremely unusual. Although age is the most significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s, this study aims to bring more attention to young-onset dementia. 

According to the authors, almost all patients under the age of 30 have pathological gene mutations. Previously, the youngest Alzheimer’s disease patient was a 21-year-old with a similar gene mutation.