Is Alzheimer's a disease of the elderly?
Why Do Young People Get Alzheimer's?
What are the symptoms?
When most people hear Alzheimer's disease, they think of it as a disease that affects the elderly.
Caused by various things,Even young people can get Alzheimer's disease.
In this article, we will discuss the causes and symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
table of contents
Causes of early-onset Alzheimer's
First, let's take a look at the causes of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
heredity
As a cause of early-onset Alzheimer's, the possibility of heredity is considered, and numerous studies are being conducted. In research, there are many results related to chromosomes.
Lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension
Hypertension and diabetes are also associated with the onset of dementia. Therefore, it is thought that the risk of developing early-onset Alzheimer's disease in the future increases if the condition of high blood pressure or poorly controlled diabetes continues from a young age. Not only is blood pressure too high, but also too low is considered a risk factor for developing dementia in general.
Glucose after sugar is broken down is said to easily damage blood vessels. Continuing hyperglycemia damages blood vessels and accelerates arteriosclerosis. As arteriosclerosis progresses, blood flow to the brain tends to decrease, increasing the risk of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Injuries due to accidents, etc.
When there is a big impact to the head due to an accident, etc., the nerve cells in the brain are damaged, and there is a possibility of developing early-onset Alzheimer's disease. In addition to accidents, it is also necessary to be careful of falls on bicycles and motorcycles, and impacts to the head during sports.
drinking or drugs
A history of heavy drinking and drug abuse also puts people at risk for early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's
Next, we will discuss the symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
memory impairment
Memory impairment is a prominent symptom of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.In the early stages of the disease, you may not be able to recall recent memories, and as the disease progresses, you may forget things that happened just recently. Older memories tend to be relatively preserved.
lose track of time and place
The next characteristic is that the recognition of time and place is disturbed.
I think it's early morning when it's noon, and I think it's summer when it's winter. In addition, it becomes difficult to find the place, so there are cases where people cannot come back after going out.
Since the ability to recognize people's faces also declines, there is a possibility that you will not be able to recognize the faces of acquaintances.
mood changes
In the early stages after the symptoms appear, you can notice changes in yourself, so you may lose confidence or become depressed. However, as the symptoms progress, it is often said that they become euphoric.
run out of words
You may experience what is called aphasia.
The symptoms that appear are often relatively mild aphasia, and aphasia can be seen in which the names of things cannot be remembered and the words are spoken in a roundabout way.Such aphasia is called amnestic aphasia.
For amnestic aphasia, for example, the name "radish" is difficult to come up, and it is conceivable that expressions such as "It's a white vegetable, it's thick, and the leaves are small...".
At the end of juvenile Alzheimer's disease, a condition called global aphasia occurs.
Global aphasia is the loss of all language-related functions. You can't read or write, you can't speak or understand words, and you can barely communicate.
Is your smartphone causing early-onset Alzheimer's?
Smartphone addiction among young people has also been pointed out as a possible cause of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Looking at your phone releases dopamine, a hormone that makes you feel happy. Gambling and alcohol have similar effects, so you may become addicted to smartphones in the same way that you become addicted to gambling or alcohol.
Young people's brains are still developing, so it is said that hormonal changes in the brain can cause symptoms similar to dementia.This state is called "digital dementia", and it is said that 14% of people with digital dementia will transition to early-onset dementia.
It is necessary to strictly limit the use of smartphones before the brain is fully developed and take measures to prevent dependence.
summary
In this article, we have discussed early onset Alzheimer's disease.
There are various causes, but I hope you have understood that it is necessary to pay attention to head injuries due to lifestyle and sports.
In the early stages of the disease, people may feel depressed because they themselves notice changes in their memory and a decline in their ability to recognize things. Then you will need the support of your family. It is important to understand the symptoms and causes so that we can provide appropriate support to the patient.
References
・Michihiro Kimura. Juntendo Medicine 47.1 (2001): 15-22.
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/pjmj/47/1/47_15/_pdf
・Niwa F. “Dementia and lifestyle risk factors.” Northern Medical Center Journal, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine 5.1 (2019): 2-9.
・Kazutoshi Adachi, and Tomoko Fujita. “Current status of digital dementia in universities.” Bulletin of Kokushikan University Information Science 39 (2018): 14-21.
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Supervision: Dr. Yasushi Tsuda