Millions of younger people are suffering with dementia and the numbers may be higher than thought as many cases go undetected, an expert has said. Young-onset dementia is 'under-recognised' as most people see dementia solely as a condition associated with older people, according to Molly Murray at the University of the West of Scotland.
Molly said: "While dementia is usually associated with older adults, the condition doesn’t discriminate based on age. In fact, anyone (even children) can be diagnosed with different forms of dementia.But this common assumption means many younger people may not seek a diagnosis from their doctor, as many don’t assume dementia could be causing any of the symptoms they’re experiencing.
"Doctors, too, often fail to consider the possibility of a younger person having dementia. Many people diagnosed with young-onset dementia initially had their symptoms dismissed. Some doctors even showed little concern for their experiences. It also isn’t uncommon for younger adults to be told they’re “too young” to have dementia."
Molly said the symptoms of young-onset dementia can be different from that seen in older people. She told The Conversation : "D ementia can lead to a huge variety of symptoms – such as changes in personality and language, difficulties recognising objects, judging distances or coordinating movement and even hallucinations and delusions.
"Compared to dementia in older adults, people with young-onset dementia are more likely to experience symptoms other than memory loss as the earliest signs of the condition. For instance, research shows that for around one-third of people with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease, the earliest symptoms they had were problems with coordination and vision changes."
Dementia is a term that encompasses a range of brain disorders. In older adults, the most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease – accounting for 50-75% of cases. Y oung-onset dementia tends to be caused by rarer neurodegenerative conditions, such as frontotemporal dementias.
These conditions affect parts of the brain responsible for personality, behaviour, language, speech and executive functioning.
Molly said: "For example, primary progressive aphasia is one type of frontotemporal dementia. This condition affects around three in every 100,000 people. Primary progressive aphasia mainly alters a person’s ability to communicate and understand speech."
She added: " Recognition of these rarer forms of dementia is increasing – thanks in part to celebrities such as Fiona Phillips, Pauline Quirke and Terry Jones opening up about their experiences. But there’s still much less understanding around treatment options and managing symptoms when it comes to these rarer forms of dementia. Rarer dementias are also linked to atypical symptoms, which often go missed. This prolongs the diagnostic journey."
Molly said young-onbset dementia can often be confused with mental health problemssuch as bipolar disorder, psychosis, depression and anxiety as symptoms might include apathy, feelings of panic, irritability, hallucinations and delusions.
She said: "Early symptoms of young-onset dementia may also be misdiagnosed as menopause in women, as well as a period of burnout."
Moilly added: " The under-recognition of young-onset dementia is significant. It contributes to the lack of resources, specialised care and advice, appropriate support and early diagnosis for people with young-onset dementia. While this is improving, greater awareness still needs to be brought to the experience of dementia in younger adults – especially given research shows that the progression of cognitive decline is more pronounced in younger adults.
"If you’re worried about yourself or a family member showing signs of dementia, it’s important to discuss symptoms and seek support early. You can also contact local dementia support organisations such asAlzheimer Scotland,Dementia UK, andAlzheimer Society, who can provide information, resources and guidance on support options."
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