27 Feb 2023 • A 19-year-old in China has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease becoming the youngest case of the condition ever reported. The case, presented in a recent issue of the Journal for Alzheimer’s Disease, described a male teenager from Beijing who began experiencing gradual memory loss and difficulty concentrating at the age of 17. He was unable to recall where he placed his belongings or what had happened on the previous day and experienced delayed reactions and reading difficulties, the authors said. His scores on the World Health Organization-University of California Los Angeles Auditory Verbal Learning Test (WHO-UCLA AVLT) also confirmed severe memory impairment.

While no single cause has been identified, research indicates early onset of the disease likely results from multiple factors, including genetics, lifestyle and environment.

What makes this case even more puzzling is the fact that unlike this teen, nearly all patients younger than 30 who are diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s possess pathological gene mutations. Previously, the youngest patient ever to have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s was a 21-year-old who carried a gene mutation known to be associated with the condition.

“This is the youngest case ever reported to meet the diagnostic criteria for probable [Alzheimer’s disease] without recognised genetic mutations,” the authors said.

Source: Psychiatrist News | Read full story