Early Onset Alzheimer’s

Many people think of Alzheimer’s as a condition linked to elderly people, but early-onset Alzheimer’s can affect people under the age of 65. Although it is less common, more than 40,000 people in the UK are living with the condition. Many of them are in their 40s and 50s, with families and careers. Health care providers often don’t look for Alzheimer’s in young people, so having an accurate diagnosis can be a long process. Sometimes, the symptoms are wrongly attributed to stress, or different health care professionals can make conflicting diagnoses. There is no one test that confirms early-onset Alzheimer’s. A diagnosis is made only after a comprehensive medical evaluation by health professionals, including consulting a doctor who specialises in Alzheimer’s, cognitive tests, brain imaging and a neurological examination. What are the symptoms? Early-onset Alzheimer’s affects each person differently, so the symptoms will vary. One of the common symptoms is memory problems – such as memory loss, or other cognitive difficulties. This can include forgetting recently learned information, or forgetting important events and dates. People may find themselves asking the same questions over and over because they can’t remember the reply. They may have to increasingly rely on memory aids such as setting alarms on electronic devices, or writing reminder notes, whereas they used to handle things unaided themselves. This is different from a typical age-related change – such as sometimes forgetting appointments, names and dates, but remembering them again later. Some experience a change in their ability to work with numbers or follow a plan. They may struggle to keep track of their bills or be unable to follow a familiar recipe. They can struggle to concentrate and take longer to do simple tasks that they could once do with ease. A typical age-related change is making errors on occasion when managing household bills and finances. People with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates and even seasons. A typical age-related change is forgetting what day of the week it is, but working it out later. Someone with Alzheimer’s might struggle to follow a conversation and may stop mid-sentence because they don’t know how to continue. They might forget the name of a familiar object or may use the wrong name, such as calling a watch a clock, for example. A typical age-related change is sometimes using the wrong word. Is there a cause for early-onset Alzheimer’s? Doctors aren’t 100% certain why most cases of early-onset Alzheimer’s occur at a young age. Research worldwide has concluded that in a few hundred families, several rare genes have directly caused Alzheimer’s. These rare genes are inherited and the people who have them tend to develop Alzheimer’s symptoms in their 30s, 40s and 50s. This type of Alzheimer’s is called “familial Alzheimer’s disease”. Family members, over several generations, can be affected by the condition. While family history is not necessarily a reason for a person to develop Alzheimer’s, research shows an individual whose parent or sibling has Alzheimer’s is more likely to develop the disease than someone who doesn’t have a close relative with Alzheimer’s. Research to help with the disease Scientific research into the cause and treatment is continuing all the time. A new study, published in Medical News Today on 1st November, suggests the proteins associated with the development of Alzheimer’s play a bigger role than was first thought. Misfolded, fibrous tangles of a protein called tau, and plaques of another misfolded protein called beta-amyloid, accumulate in the brain and kill nerve cells. The ongoing loss of nerve cells over time causes the brain to shrink and this will interfere with the memory and cognitive skills. A new study by scientists at the University of Cambridge in England has tracked the spread and replication of tau in the human brain for the first time. It has been found that local replication of tau is more significant for the progression of Alzheimer’s than its spread through different regions of the brain. The research is highly important in the development of new drugs to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s. Scientists discovered the total amount of tau in the brain doubled around every five years. This was much slower than the previously predicted rate of spread, following earlier studies. New research suggests the best way to slow down the progression of the disease is by targeting the local replication of tau. Help and support There is plenty of support for anyone with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Symptoms can begin as early as your 30s. If you, or someone you know, experiences any symptoms that lead you to believe you may have early-onset Alzheimer’s, keep a list of your symptoms and when and how they occur. Then, make an appointment to see your GP, who will decide on the appropriate course of action. Getting an early diagnosis is the best way to come up with a treatment plan. As well as professional medical support, there are also charities and support groups that can help. Dementia UK’s website has a search tool so people can find support groups and services in their local area. In addition, when a person has full mobility but is in danger should they get out of bed unattended, Kinderkey offers a choice of safe sleeping solutions to help with nocturnal orientation problems. Our Dali Electric Nursing Bed is ideal for people with Alzheimer’s, as it has side rails to protect against falling out of bed. It also has an adjustable height, back and upper leg rests for additional comfort. Please contact us for further information.

For more information on Early Onset Alzheimer’s talk to Kinderkey Healthcare Ltd