Castro-Suarez Sheila, Zegarra-Valdivia Jonathan A, Meza-Vega María, Guevara-Silva Erik A
Centro Básico de Investigación en Demencias y Enfermedades Desmielinizantes del Sistema Nervioso, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Perú.
Global Brain Health Institute, San Francisco, California, Estados Unidos.
Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica. 2025 Aug 25;42(2):196-202. doi: 10.17843/rpmesp.2025.422.14413.
Motivation for the study. To describe the clinical characteristics of early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) and compare them according to gender. This condition is considered a rare disease, whose manifestations are still poorly understood. Main findings. The most common clinical presentation of EOAD is the amnestic variant, which mainly affects episodic memory and executive function and is often accompanied by neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression and irritability. Women tend to have more impairments in calculus, constructive apraxia, and visuospatial functions than men. Implications for public health. By identifying the clinical characteristics of EOAD, healthcare professionals can recognize patients early on. Furthermore, it is essential to broaden the concept of dementia, avoiding limiting it exclusively to the population over 65 years of age.
Early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) accounts for between 5 and 10% of all cases of Alzheimer's disease and is a rare and devastating form of the disease. This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of patients diagnosed with EOAD between 2022 and 2023 at a tertiary neurological center in Lima, Peru. Of 547 cases of dementia, 60 met the criteria for EOAD. Most were women (73.3%), and 71% had more than six years of education. The mean MMSE score was 11.92 ± 7.5, and the mean CDR score was 2, indicating severe cognitive impairment and moderate dementia. The amnestic variant was the most common clinical form, highlighting the involvement of episodic memory and executive function. The most common psychological and behavioral symptoms were depression and irritability. Atypical features such as myoclonus (5%) and epilepsy (10%) were also identified. These findings highlight the importance of healthcare professionals recognizing dementia in young adults at an early stage and offering comprehensive management to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
Motivation for the study. To describe the clinical characteristics of early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) and compare them according to gender. This condition is considered a rare disease, whose manifestations are still poorly understood. Main findings. The most common clinical presentation of EOAD is the amnestic variant, which mainly affects episodic memory and executive function and is often accompanied by neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression and irritability. Women tend to have more impairments in calculus, constructive apraxia, and visuospatial functions than men. Implications for public health. By identifying the clinical characteristics of EOAD, healthcare professionals can recognize patients early on. Furthermore, it is essential to broaden the concept of dementia, avoiding limiting it exclusively to the population over 65 years of age.
研究动机。描述早发性阿尔茨海默病（EOAD）的临床特征，并按性别进行比较。这种疾病被认为是一种罕见病，其表现仍未得到充分了解。主要发现。EOAD最常见的临床表现是遗忘型，主要影响情景记忆和执行功能，常伴有抑郁和易怒等神经精神症状。女性在计算、结构性失用和视觉空间功能方面的损害往往比男性更多。对公共卫生的意义。通过识别EOAD的临床特征，医疗保健专业人员可以尽早识别患者。此外，扩大痴呆症的概念至关重要，避免将其仅局限于65岁以上人群。
早发性阿尔茨海默病（EOAD）占所有阿尔茨海默病病例的5%至10%，是该疾病一种罕见且具有破坏性的形式。这项回顾性研究分析了2022年至2023年在秘鲁利马一家三级神经中心被诊断为EOAD的患者的病历。在547例痴呆病例中，60例符合EOAD标准。大多数为女性（73.3%），71%接受过六年以上教育。简易精神状态检查表（MMSE）平均得分为11.92±7.5，临床痴呆评定量表（CDR）平均得分为2，表明存在严重认知障碍和中度痴呆。遗忘型是最常见的临床形式，突出了情景记忆和执行功能的受累情况。最常见的心理和行为症状是抑郁和易怒。还发现了诸如肌阵挛（5%）和癫痫（10%）等非典型特征。这些发现凸显了医疗保健专业人员尽早识别年轻人中的痴呆症并提供全面管理以改善患者及其家庭生活质量的重要性。
研究动机。描述早发性阿尔茨海默病（EOAD）的临床特征，并按性别进行比较。这种疾病被认为是一种罕见病，其表现仍未得到充分了解。主要发现。EOAD最常见的临床表现是遗忘型，主要影响情景记忆和执行功能，常伴有抑郁和易怒等神经精神症状。女性在计算、结构性失用和视觉空间功能方面的损害往往比男性更多。对公共卫生的意义。通过识别EOAD的临床特征，医疗保健专业人员可以尽早识别患者。此外，扩大痴呆症的概念至关重要，避免将其仅局限于65岁以上人群。
