19-Year-Old Diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Despite No Family History
A 19-year-old has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, exhibiting notable memory loss and cognitive decline since the age of 17. The case is especially unusual as the patient has no family history of Alzheimer’s or dementia, complicating classification as familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD). This diagnosis underscores the rare, but devastating, reality that Alzheimer’s is not solely a disease of aging and highlights the need for further research into the genetic and pathological factors driving the condition in younger individuals.
While Alzheimer’s is typically associated with older adults, early-onset Alzheimer’s – diagnosed before age 65 - accounts for up to 10 percent of all cases. In individuals under 30, a genetic mutation is often the cause. However, this patient presents a diagnostic challenge, as they exhibit no known genetic predisposition or history of head trauma, infection, or other illnesses that could explain the rapid cognitive deterioration. Brain scans reveal shrinkage in the hippocampus, a region crucial for memory, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis indicates biomarkers consistent with common forms of dementia.
Full-scale memory and direct assessment scores are significantly lower than those of peers. Previously, the youngest known Alzheimer’s patient was 21 and carried mutations in the PSEN1 gene, leading to the buildup of toxic protein plaques in the brain. the 19-year-old’s case is prompting further inquiry into the underlying causes of early-onset Alzheimer’s and the potential for previously unidentified genetic factors.