Early-onset Alzheimer's disease

Early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD), also called Younger-onset Alzheimer's disease (YOAD), is Alzheimer's disease diagnosed before the age of 65. It is an uncommon form of Alzheimer's, accounting for only 5–10% of all Alzheimer's cases. About 60% have a positive family history of Alzheimer's and 13% of them are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Most cases of early-onset Alzheimer's share the same traits as the "late-onset" form and are not caused by known genetic mutations. Little is understood about how it starts. Nonfamilial early-onset AD can develop in people who are in their 30s or 40s, but this is extremely rare, and mostly people in their 50s or early 60s are affected. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia; it usually occurs in old age. Familial Alzheimer's disease is an inherited and uncommon form of AD. Familial AD usually strikes earlier in life, defined as before the age of 65. FAD usually implies multiple persons affected in one or more generation. Nonfamilial cases of AD are referred to as "sporadic" AD, where genetic risk factors are minor or unclear. Familial Alzheimer's accounts for 10-15% of all EOAD cases. The rest are sporadic and not based on genetic mutations. EOAD strikes earlier in life, defined as before the age of 65 (usually between 30 and 60 years of age). Early signs of AD include unusual memory loss, particularly in remembering recent events and the names of people and things (logopenic primary progressive aphasia). As the disease progresses, the patient exhibits more serious problems, becoming subject to mood swings and unable to perform complex activities such as driving. Other common findings include confusion, poor judgement, language disturbance, agitation, withdrawal, hallucinations, seizures, Parkinsonian deficits, increased muscle tone, myoclonus, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence and mutism. In the later stages of EOAD, persons with EOAD forget how to perform simple tasks such as brushing their hair and require full-time care.