The young student began to lose his memory and had to drop out of high school. Early-onset neurodegenerative disease is usually linked to genetic mutations that were not present in this case
He is only 19 years old and the youngest person in the world to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, according to what is known in the scientific literature. This was written by the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease which published a report by a group of Chinese scientists who described in detail the clinical case also reported by the local press.
Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease uA rare form of dementia that affects people under the age of 65. Represents since 5 to 10 percent of all cases of Alzheimer’s disease
. Nearly all patients with Alzheimer’s under the age of 30 present genetic mutations (PS1, PS2, APP) that predispose to the disease. However, the adolescent did not have any of the genetic mutations identified so far linked to dementia and this makes the case unique because it would have been a very rare sporadic occurrence.
The young man began to have difficulty concentrating at age 17during his high school studies. The situation worsened the following year when the student began to suffer from memory loss
short-term: he could not remember what had happened the previous day or where he had put some of his belongings. Simultaneously she started having difficulty reading and to have slow reactions. His memory gradually diminished: he often lost his things, couldn’t remember whether or not he had eaten, couldn’t finish his homework. Eventually the student had to drop out of high school.
The doctors who followed him, scientists from the National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases in Beijing, subjected the young man to a standardized test approved by the World Health Organization to evaluate his memory capacity, which have been compromised. The young patient then underwent more in-depth examinations: the MRI showed bilateral hippocampal atrophy and hypometabolism in the bilateral temporal lobe, both typical signs of Alzheimer’s. Examination of the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid revealed an increased concentration din protein costsbiomarker of neurodegenerative diseases.
All the data reported go in the direction of a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s although when there is an early onset there is generally a very clear genetic basis which in this case does not comment Alessandro Padovani, director of the Neurology Clinic at the University of Brescia. Juvenile-onset cases between the ages of 28-32 are known, and they are all related to genetic mutations. However, such early cases have never been described, mostly unrelated to family histories or genetic mutations. The story of this boy is striking because there are already clear signs of the disease in an unexpectedly anticipated era.
No beta amyloid plaques were identifieda characteristic sign of Alzheimer’s disease but according to the researchers this would be due to the young age of the patient and to the fact that his metabolism would have prevented the mechanism of accumulation of amyloid plaques. Pets with patterns for amyloid – agrees Padovani – they are positive in most patients with Alzheimer’s, but not in all. There are mutations affecting amyloid that are not detected by this test. it is probable that given the young age of the patient there are no senile plaques usually identified in most of the brains of elderly people because those conditions related to aging that predispose to aggregate forms have not yet occurred; but it is also true that amyloid can accumulate in soluble form and give rise to neuropathological effects independently of the plaques.
The study – conclude the authors – aims to pay attention to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Exploring the mysteries of young people with Alzheimer’s disease could become one of the most challenging scientific questions in the future, write the authors.
February 16, 2023 (change February 16, 2023 | 10:37)
© Time.News