Alzheimer's is a disease of the elderly, right?
Why do young people get Alzheimer's?
What symptoms do you experience?
When you hear the word Alzheimer's, most people probably think of it as a disease that affects older people
There are a variety of reasons for this,Young people can also get Alzheimer's
This time, we will explain the causes and symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's
table of contents
Causes of early-onset Alzheimer's
First, let me explain the causes of early-onset Alzheimer's
Genetics
Genetics is thought to be a possible cause of early-onset Alzheimer's, and numerous studies are being conducted, with many of the results showing a link to chromosomes
Lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure
It is said that high blood pressure and diabetes are also related to the onset of dementia. Therefore, if high blood pressure or poor diabetes control continues from a young age, it is thought that the risk of developing early-onset Alzheimer's in the future increases. Not only is blood pressure too high, but it is also thought that blood pressure too low is a risk factor for the onset of dementia in general
Glucose, which is the sugar that is broken down, is known to easily damage blood vessels. If high blood sugar levels continue, blood vessels become damaged and arteriosclerosis progresses. When arteriosclerosis progresses, blood flow to the brain also tends to decrease, increasing the risk of developing early-onset Alzheimer's
Injuries caused by accidents, etc
If a person experiences a major impact to the head, such as in an accident, it can damage the nerve cells in the brain, increasing the risk of developing early-onset Alzheimer's. In addition to accidents, it is also important to be careful of falls from bicycles or motorcycles, and head injuries sustained while playing sports
Alcohol and drugs
Having a history of excessive alcohol or drug abuse also increases your risk of developing early-onset Alzheimer's
Symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's
Next, we will explain the symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's disease
Memory impairment
The most prominent symptom of early-onset Alzheimer's is memory lossIn the early stages of the disease, people lose the ability to recall recent memories, but as the disease progresses, they begin to forget even what happened just a moment ago. Older memories tend to be relatively well preserved
I lose track of time and place
The next characteristic is that perception of time and place becomes impaired
You may find yourself thinking it's dawn when it's noon, or summer when it's winter. It can also become difficult to find your way around, so there are cases where you go out and can't find your way back
Your ability to recognize faces will also decline, and you may find it difficult to recognize the faces of acquaintances
Mood changes
In the early stages of the condition, people can notice changes in themselves, which can lead to a loss of confidence and depression. However, as the condition progresses, people often become euphoric
I can't find the words
A condition known as "aphasia" may occur
The symptoms that appear are often relatively mild aphasia, in which patients are unable to remember the names of things and end up speaking in roundabout waysThis type of aphasia is called amnesic aphasia
With amnesia and aphasia, for example, it may be difficult to remember the name "radish," and one may end up describing it as "a white vegetable that's thick and has small leaves..."
The final stages of early-onset Alzheimer's disease result in a condition called global aphasia
Global aphasia is a condition in which all language-related functions are lost. Reading and writing become impossible, and speaking and understanding language become difficult, resulting in almost complete communication
Smartphones cause early-onset Alzheimer's?
It has also been pointed out that smartphone addiction among young people may be a cause of early-onset Alzheimer's
Looking at a smartphone releases dopamine, a hormone that gives you pleasure. Gambling and alcohol have a similar effect, so there is a risk of becoming addicted to smartphones, just as there is to becoming addicted to gambling or alcohol
Because young people's brains are still developing, changes in the hormone balance in the brain occur, which is thought to cause symptoms similar to dementiaThis condition is called "digital dementia," and it is said that 14% of people with digital dementia will progress to early-onset dementia
Smartphone use while the brain is not fully developed must be strictly limited and measures taken to prevent children from becoming addicted
summary
In this article, we have discussed early-onset Alzheimer's disease
There are various causes, but I hope you understand that you need to be careful about your lifestyle and head injuries while playing sports
In the early stages of the disease, patients may become depressed as they notice changes in their memory and a decline in their ability to recognize things. At this time, support from family members is necessary. It is important to fully understand the symptoms and causes before providing appropriate support to patients
References
・Kimura Michihiro. “An Attempt at a Specialized Outpatient Clinic for Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease.” Juntendo University School of Medicine 47.1 (2001): 15-22.
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/pjmj/47/1/47_15/_pdf
・Niwa, Fumitoshi. “Dementia and lifestyle risk factors.” Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Northern Medical Center Journal 5.1 (2019): 2-9.
・Kazutoshi Adachi, and Tomoko Fujita. “The Current State of Digital Dementia in Universities.” Kokushikan University Bulletin of Information Science 39 (2018): 14-21.
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Supervision: Dr. Yasushi Tsuda