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A neurodegenerative dementia usually affecting the elderly, Alzheimer’s disease was diagnosed in a young Chinese patient. Indeed, according to a scientific publication of which he is the subject, he is only 19 years old! The opinion of Dr Christophe de Jaeger, physiologist and member of the Doctissimo expert committee.
This is an extremely rare case: a young man aged only 19 was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Usually, this neurodegenerative dementia affects the elderly.
A diagnosis made much later
“Alzheimer’s disease is usually diagnosed around the age of 75.” first indicates the physician physiologist. “But in reality, the disease often began much earlier, between the ages of 60 and 65. So a case diagnosed at 19 is truly a rare thing.”. A fact so rare that this case is the subject of a publication, in the journal The Journal of Alzheimer’s Diseaseon January 31.
No family history or genetic mutations
According to the facts reported by scientists, the young man has had memory loss, difficulty concentrating, reading and delayed reactions for two years. Symptoms confirmed by various tests. In the cerebrospinal fluid of the young man, collected by lumbar puncture, “an increased concentration of Tau proteins” was found. Finally, CT images showed a decrease in his hypothalamus.
But he has neither a family history of the disease nor genetic mutations that could explain this early onset. However, in support of all these elements, the young man was diagnosed as a carrier of “probable” Alzheimer’s disease.
The opinion of Dr Christophe de Jaeger, physiologist and member of the Doctissimo expert committee
“The definition of Alzheimer’s disease has changed a lot since the discovery of this pathology, it was considered a pre-senile dementia but now we know that it has anatomopathological characteristics which are also found in senile dementia such as atrophy of the hippocampus, impairment of immediate memory… This young man does not present any genetic mutations or family history: has he been exposed to a viral agent? A toxic element? Only further investigations may reveal this. It’s a case to follow, in any case“.