Language changes and visual disturbances are some of the earliest - but often overlooked - signs of early-onset dementia, which can appear even in people in their 30s, experts warn.
Dementia is a disease that affects memory and is usually associated with old age, with the vast majority of cases occurring in the elderly.
However, early-onset dementia, when patients receive a devastating diagnosis before the age of 65, is on the rise in Britain.
Experts warn that young people are not aware of the specific warning signs of this condition and that they are different from the memory loss that occurs in older people.
Writing for The Conversation, Molly Murray, an expert on early-onset dementia from the University of the West of Scotland, said that for many patients, the first sign of the condition is vision problems.
“Research shows that for about a third of people with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease [the most common form of dementia], the first symptoms to appear are problems with coordination and changes in vision,” she wrote, GazetaExpress reports.
These problems may manifest as difficulties in reading or in coordinating movements, for example while getting dressed.
Critically, these occur without physical damage to vision, as the problem lies in how the brain processes visual information.
Another sign of early-onset dementia is language problems.
Examples include difficulty using the right words in a sentence, or long pauses while speaking.
Patients may also experience strange personality changes, such as a loss of social "filter," which makes them appear rude or insensitive.
These signs can also appear in older patients, but are much rarer – occurring in about one in 20 cases.
Ms Murray added that these changes are more common in rarer forms of dementia, such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
FTD, although making up a small proportion of overall cases, is much more common in younger patients, accounting for about two in five diagnoses of early-onset dementia.
The first signs of FTD often include changes in language and behavior due to the specific parts of the brain that are affected.
Ms Murray said more awareness is needed about the different symptoms that early-onset dementia can cause, both in the public and among doctors.
“The misconception that dementia is a disease of the elderly leaves people with early-onset dementia struggling to be heard,” she wrote.
"Rarer dementias are also associated with atypical symptoms, which often go unnoticed. This lengthens the journey to a diagnosis."
She added that part of the challenge is that many of the potential symptoms of early-onset dementia can be confused with other conditions, such as menopause in women, or a period of mental fatigue.
Getting an early diagnosis is essential at any age, because even though the disease is incurable, treatments can relieve symptoms and sometimes slow its progression.
The latest figures suggest that nearly 71,000 patients are currently living with early-onset dementia, accounting for around 7.5% of all dementia diagnoses.
This is a 69% increase compared to the number recorded in 2014.
Scientists are still not sure of the reasons for this increase, but believe it may be related to the same factors that are increasing cases at all ages.
These factors include increasing obesity, poor diets, and greater awareness of the disease.
Several well-known figures have been struck by early-onset dementia, including ITV presenter Fiona Phillips, author Sir Terry Pratchett and actor Robin Williams.
Phillips, who presented GMTV (now Good Morning Britain) from 1997 to 2008, received news of her dementia diagnosis in 2022.
She was only 62 years old at the time and it was announced that her illness was caused by Alzheimer's.
She said she had problems with mental fog and anxiety in the months before her diagnosis.
Phillips, who has a family history of Alzheimer's, said she had thought the diagnosis would hit her in her 80s.
She has suggested that the early morning hours associated with presenting the shows for 11 years may have been a factor.
She was enrolled in a clinical trial of drugs to slow the symptoms of the disease. In 2023, she said the treatment seemed to be working.
She also noticed that one of the biggest changes since the diagnosis was the loss of her "filter" during conversations.
"I say some funny things. I've become more honest with people, which I don't see as a negative," she had previously said.
“No one has reacted badly and most of the time I am complimenting people and saying things that I would think but wouldn't say out loud.”
Sir Terry Pratchett, the renowned writer of the satirical Discworld series, was another public figure affected by dementia before the age of 65. He was diagnosed at the age of 59 with a rare form called posterior cortical atrophy (PCA).
PCA is a form of dementia that primarily affects the brain's ability to process visual information, as the damage occurs in the back of the brain.
Those who suffer from this condition may have difficulty reading, spelling, or distinguishing objects against a similarly colored background, such as a white plate on a white tablecloth.
PCA is estimated to account for 5% of Alzheimer's cases diagnosed in the UK and is most common in people under the age of 65.
In advanced stages, PCA also begins to affect thinking, memory, and language, just like the more typical form of Alzheimer's.
Sir Terry, who described his illness as a "huge nuisance", was praised for his openness about life with dementia and became patron of the charity Alzheimer's Research UK.
He passed away at his home in 2015, "with his cat sleeping in his bed, surrounded by his family," according to his publisher.
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams is one of the most tragic cases.
The Hollywood star killed himself in 2014, aged just 63, after he began suffering from hallucinations and delusions believed to have been caused by dementia with Lewy bodies.
This type of dementia accounts for a minority of cases – about one in 10.
It is caused by the small accumulation of proteins called Lewy bodies in the nerve cells of the brain, preventing them from functioning properly.
This process can cause visual and auditory hallucinations, confusion, tremors, fainting, depression, anxiety, and violent movements.
Like Alzheimer's, this form of dementia can cause problems with understanding, thinking, memory, and judgment.
Experts are still trying to understand why this form of dementia develops and whether there is any risk of it being hereditary.
Williams' widow, Susan Schneider Williams, said learning about the diagnosis after his death was a "relief" after years of trying to understand what was happening.
"I was relieved it had a name. Robin and I experienced this condition together, like being chased by an invisible monster."
Williams was known to suffer from the condition during filming, with Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy recalling: "Robin was struggling to remember lines and match the right words to the performance."
"Robin would call me asking if the materials were usable. I saw his morale crumbling. I saw a man who was no longer himself and thought that was inexcusable."
When the autopsy was performed and the impact of Lewy bodies on Williams' brain was discovered, doctors were surprised that he had been able to walk or move.
The progression of this form of dementia depends on the patient, but the average survival time is five to seven years after diagnosis.
Like other forms, it is progressive, meaning it gets worse over time and most patients will eventually need help to care for themselves.
Dementia affects around one million people in the UK.
A recent analysis by the Alzheimer's Society estimates that the total annual cost of dementia to Britain is £42 billion, with families bearing the brunt.
The ageing population means these costs – which include lost income from unpaid carers – are expected to rise to £90 billion over the next 15 years.
A separate analysis by Alzheimer's Research UK found that 74,261 people died from dementia in XNUMX. 2022 compared to 69,178 a year earlier, making it the biggest killer in the country. /GazetaExpress/
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