Recent research advances in young-onset dementia

Abstract

Purpose of reviewYoung-onset dementia (YOD) refers to a dementia for which symptom onset occurs below the age of 65. This review summarizes the recent literature in this area, focusing on updates in epidemiology, diagnosis and service provision. Recent findingsIn the last year, internationally, the prevalence of YOD was reported as 119 per 100 000, but this may vary according to population types. Although the commonest causes of YOD are Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), there is increasing recognition that YOD is diagnostically and phenotypically broader than AD and FTD. YOD may be due to many other diseases (e.g. Huntington's disease, vascular dementia) whereas accumulation of the same protein (e.g. amyloid protein) may lead to different phenotypes of Alzheimer's disease (such as posterior cortical atrophy and behavioural-variant/ frontal-variant AD). This heterogeneity of phenotypic presentation is also seen in YOD due to known genetic mutations. Biomarkers such as plasma and cerebrospinal fluid proteins, neuroimaging and genetics have shown promise in the early identification of YOD as well as providing further understanding behind the overlap between psychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions occurring in younger people. The management of YOD needs to consider age-specific issues for younger people with dementia and their family networks together with better integration with other health services such as aged, disability and improved access to services and financial assistance.

A Survey of Deep Learning for Alzheimer’s Disease

“…Brookmeyer et al [5] predicted that more than 1% of the world population would be affected by AD or related diseases by 2050, with a significant proportion of this cohort requiring a high level of care. AD usually starts from middle-to-old age as a chronic neurodegenerative disorder, but rare cases of early-onset AD can affect individuals of 45-64 years old [6]. AD leads to cognitive decline symptoms: memory impairment [7], language dysfunction [8], and decline in cognition and judgment [9].…”

Incidence of young‐onset dementia in Italy: The Brescia register study

“…Revision of the clinical criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD), 10 frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) spectrum, 11–14 and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) 15 has prompted a wider recognition of these disorders in experienced clinical settings. Concomitantly, the increased use of biological and imaging markers in routine clinical practice has further improved diagnostic accuracy of atypical clinical presentations 16,17 …”

“…Concomitantly, the increased use of biological and imaging markers in routine clinical practice has further improved diagnostic accuracy of atypical clinical presentations. 16,17 Thus, up-to-date epidemiological studies with register-based approaches and with the involvement of specific clinical experts could improve knowledge in terms of numbers and impact of YOD. [18][19][20] Only a few studies have specifically assessed the incident rates of neurodegenerative YOD, 3,[21][22][23][24][25] mainly in small population settings and using past clinical criteria.…”

Dementia in Australia: Clinical recommendations post‐diagnosis

“…Currently, guidance on how to obtain this information in Australia is lacking, particularly for young-onset dementia (age of symptom onset <65 years). 1,4,5 Drawing from our clinical experience, this article offers recommendations and resources for post-diagnostic care, addressing both younger-and older-onset dementia populations in Australia.…”