5 Health problems that cause dementia at a young age

Dementia, known as dementia, generally attacks the elderly (elderly). But in some cases, diseases that reduce brain function can also affect people who are younger, even in children. So, what causes dementia in young people? Find the answer in the following review.

Causes of dementia at a young age

Dementia is a group of symptoms that affect a person's ability to remember (memory), think, act, and speak or speak. This is because disease attacks healthy brain cells, disrupts their performance, over time damages and kills these cells.

One of the risk factors for this disease is age. So, when a person gets older, the risk of dementia also increases. Especially, when the age has passed 65 years.

However, in frontotemporal dementia, the symptoms of dementia can appear earlier, namely at the age of 45 years. People with this disease experience disorders of the forebrain and side.

The cause of dementia in young people is not only that. There are also other causes whose cases are quite rare, such as:

1.Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL)

Dementia that affects children or adolescents, most likely caused by neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL). This condition refers to a group of rare disorders in nerve cells caused by a buildup of lipofuscin in the brain.

This buildup of protein in the brain occurs due to a problem with the brain's ability to remove and recycle protein. You need to know that NCL is inherited from parents through copies of genes that do not function properly.

That means, parents who have NCL are likely to inherit the NCL carrier gene in their children.

The causes of dementia at this young age cause a variety of symptoms including:

• Muscles spasm abnormally and muscle coordination is poor, resulting in poor body movement, for example, wobbling when walking and falling easily.
• The child or adolescent experiences vision problems followed by dementia symptoms, such as memory loss, communication difficulties, and experiencing rapid mood swings.
• Have seizures and have poor cognitive function.

NCL cannot be cured. However, some doctor's treatments can help patients and their families to suppress the onset of symptoms.

2. Batten disease

Batten disease is also a cause of dementia in young people. These health problems refer to disorders of the nervous system that are inherited from parents. You need to know that Batten disease is a type of NCL.

In addition to causing symptoms of forgetfulness, children who have Batten disease also experience accompanying symptoms, such as:

• Loss of ability progressively.
• Seizures and disturbances in movement of the limbs.
• Gradual impairment of the ability to stand, walk, speak, and think.
• Sleep disturbances, in some children.

Until now, there is no cure for Batten disease. However, doctors can reduce the frequency or prevent symptoms, such as seizures with anticonvulsant drugs. The patient may also be asked to attend physical and occupational therapy to maintain bodily functions.

3. Niemann-Pick

The cause of dementia at a later young age is extremely rare, namely the Niemann-Pick congenital disease. This disease affects the body's ability to metabolize fat (cholesterol and lipids) in cells. In the end, this disease will worsen the function of the brain, nerves, spinal cord, and lungs.

The cause of Niemann-Pick is the loss or malfunction of the phingomyelinase enzyme which is responsible for metabolizing fat in the body so that it will trigger fat accumulation. Over time, cells lose their function due to fat buildup and die.

Not all Niemann-Pick causes decreased brain function. Only type C can cause dementia in adolescents. Children or adolescents with Niemann-Pick will generally experience the following symptoms:

• Excessive muscle contraction (dystonia) or uncontrolled eye movements.
• Sleep disturbance.
• Difficulty swallowing and experiencing recurrent pneumonia.
• Difficulty walking, so it is easy to fall.

There is no drug that can cure Niemann-Pick types A and B. Currently, only the miglustate drug (Zavesca) is available that can be used to treat Niemann-Pick types C.

4. Lafora's disease

Lafora's disease is a severe, progressive type of myoclonic epilepsy that runs in families. The causes of dementia at this young age most often begin with epileptic seizures. This is followed by other symptoms, such as difficulty walking and muscle spasms (myoclonus).

Affected people also experience progressive cognitive impairment that can lead to dementia in the future. In most cases it is caused by changes (mutations) in the EPM2A gene or the NHLRC1 gene and is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure or way to slow the progression of Lafora's disease. Treatment will focus on the signs and symptoms that the patient feels. For example, people who have had seizures will be prescribed anti-seizure drugs.

5. Down syndrome

Although not all, some people with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer's disease as they get older.

People with Down syndrome are born with an extra copy of chromosome 21, which carries the APP gene. This gene produces a specific protein called amyloid precursor protein (APP). Too much APP protein causes a build-up of protein clumps called beta-amyloid plaques in the brain.

By age 40, nearly everyone with Down syndrome has this plaque in the brain, along with other protein deposits, which causes problems with brain cell function and increases the risk of developing dementia.

According to the National Institute on Aging, people with Down syndrome at the age of 50 begin to show symptoms of Alzheimer's, which is a type of dementia.