A 19-year-old man living in China was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. This is the youngest case ever diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease, according to the South China Morning Post.
The man, who was treated at Capital Medical University’s Xuanwu Hospital in Beijing, experienced gradual symptoms of memory loss for about two years.
It has gotten to the point where he can’t remember things that happened last night nor where he belongs in society and family. ,
His condition, which caused him to drop out of high school early, also caused delays in his reading and reaction abilities. ,
Although early Alzheimer’s cases are detailed in the study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the researchers learned even more shocking details about the unique diagnosis of the young Chinese man.
“This is the youngest case ever reported that meets the diagnostic criteria for[מחלת אלצהיימר] Probable without known genetic mutations,” said senior medical officials
Before the discovery of this case of the young man, whose name has not been revealed, almost all patients who suffered from the disease and contracted it before the age of 65 – had genetic mutations.
Previously, the youngest case ever recorded was a 21-year-old who had a mutation in the PSEN1 gene, which caused the accumulation of abnormal proteins and toxic plaques.
The latest rare case ‘pushes’ researchers to look at the “nature” of dementia in a new light.
According to the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease George Perry, who is a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, “This case draws our attention to the heterogeneous nature of dementia that can involve people of any age,” the researcher told the news agency E- times.
“Significantly, this finding may separate Alzheimer’s disease from the complexity of aging, and open the field to new concepts for the promotion of innovation.”
The new test case has sparked calls to take a closer look at how Alzheimer’s can affect young people in the future.
However, such research may pose one of the greatest challenges in the field of neurology, the authors warn. ,
”[המחקר] suggested paying attention to early Alzheimer’s disease.”
“Investigating the mystery of young Alzheimer’s patients may become one of the most challenging scientific questions of the future,” says the new study reviewing the case.