Young Onset Dementia

1. Young Onset Dementia
ADE WIJAYA, MD – FEBRUARY 2020

2. Introduction
• Previous terms: presenile dementia; early onset dementia
• Dementia onset < 65 years old
• Epidemiology: estimated 8 % from all dementia
Rossor MN, Fox NC, Mummery CJ, Schott JM, Warren JD. The diagnosis of young-onset dementia. Lancet Neurol 2010; 9: 793–806.
Masellis M, Sherborn K, Neto PR, Sadovnick DA, Hsiung GR, Black SE et al. Early-onset dementias: diagnostic and aetiological considerations. Alzheimers Res Ther 2013; 5: S7.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Dementia in Australia. Canberra: AIHW; 2012.

3. Etiology
• Alzheimer disease (AD)
• Autosomal dominant Familial AD
• Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
• Huntington disease
• Secondary dementia
Draper B, Withall A. Young onset dementia. Internal medicine journal. 2016 Jul;46(7):779-86.

4. Clinical Presentation
• Cognitive presentations
• Mental health and behavioural presentations
• Dementia plus syndrome
Draper B, Withall A. Young onset dementia. Internal medicine journal. 2016 Jul;46(7):779-86.

5. People at Risk (need screening)
• Treatment-resistant depression or anxiety, particularly if there are subjective cognitive
complaints
• Patients presenting with memory or thinking concerns, particularly if there is a family history
of young onset dementia
• Close family member expressing concern about the patient’s cognition
• Behaviour change inconsistent with the patient’s premorbid personality
• Heavy alcohol or substance abuse of a duration of 5 or more years
• HIV-positive status
• Progressive neurological disorder
• Family history of young onset dementia
• Chronic systemic disease known to cause dementia
Draper B, Cations M, White F, Trollor J, Loy C, Brodaty H et al. Time to diagnosis in young onset dementia and its determinants: the Inspired study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2016 (in press).

7. Draper B, Cations M, White F, Trollor J, Loy C, Brodaty H et al. Time to diagnosis in young onset dementia and
its determinants: the Inspired study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2016 (in press).

8. Summary
• Young onset dementia (YOD), where symptoms of dementia have an onset
before the age of 65
• Become more prominent due to the population increase from the Baby Boomer
generation
• A diagnosis of YOD may have marked consequences for a younger person,
including early retirement, financial impacts and the psychological challenge of
coming to grips with cognitive decline
• Partners, children and other supporters often have unmet needs, feel burdened
by care and are at high risk of physical and emotional consequences
• Multidisciplinary approach

9. THANK YOU