Diagnosing and Treating Signs of Early Onset Dementia

Early onset dementia is a frightening diagnosis to receive. Typically, we expect illnesses related to cognitive decline to affect people in their seventies and beyond. Signs of early onset dementia, however, can appear from the age of 30 and older, but before the age of 65.

This is typically more difficult to diagnose, as it is not the first condition that medical professionals suspect. While there is currently no cure for any type of dementia, it is possible to take steps to treat the symptoms. This can decrease the rate at which the condition advances and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Signs of early onset dementia

The symptoms of dementia vary according to the specific condition the person is suffering from. An individual can experience several signs of early onset dementia, or just one or two. For this reason, a medical diagnosis needs to happen. Professional assessments are conducted by specialist psychiatrists and test aspects related to a person’s memory, communication, focus, and reasoning.

Short-term memory loss is of course one of the most obvious symptoms. While most people forget things from time to time, including details of a conversation, or the reason why they have walked into a particular room, if these occurrences become more frequent, they should be noted with concern. Dementia typically does not affect long-term memory as quickly, but it is the retention of day-to-day events that tend to “go missing” from one’s brain.

Language and communication are other areas where signs of early-onset dementia present themselves. A person who is typically erudite can start to falter over common language expressions and jumbled words. For example, instead of asking whether they should cook dinner, they might ask whether the food is eaten, confusing the listener. They start to repeat themselves, unaware that they have just uttered the same phrase.

Other everyday tasks become confusing to those with signs of early-onset dementia. For employees who turn out high-level presentations on a regular basis, the simplest program execution might become puzzling and unfamiliar. This is frightening for the individual, who would typically still be part of the workforce and need to function at an optimal level.

As confusion and frustration set in, depression and loss of interest in previous hobbies become common as signs of early-onset dementia. They are a result of the scary space that the person finds themselves in, as well as part of the decline that the brain is experiencing.

While anti-depressants are less successful in treating dementia patients, talk therapy and engaging in regular sessions with a counselor can be immensely helpful in making sense of this difficult situation. Counseling may also be greatly beneficial for family members and those who will be involved in caring for the person as the symptoms worsen.

Treatment options

A physician testing for early-onset dementia in a patient younger than sixty-five will do a number of neurological exams, brain scan images, and laboratory tests to determine what causes the person’s symptoms. The cause could include Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and more.

Once this has been established, they can advise on treatments that can both improve memory and enhance one’s day-to-day living. Every person presenting with dementia symptoms requires an individualized plan, as there is no “one size fits all” approach in an illness that varies from one person to the next.

Typically, it might include medication known to stave off cognitive decline (while not curing it), and occupational and cognitive rehabilitation therapy to help with combating the signs of early-onset dementia.

Therapists can assist with interventions to help remember people and places and help develop a plan to manage household responsibilities to the best of one’s ability, for the longest possible time.

The signs of early-onset dementia are scary, and people tend to ignore them for as long as possible, in the hope that they’ll go away. Unfortunately, this is an unwise tactic, as early intervention can go a long way toward constructively dealing with the illness.

If you live with a loved one who shows signs of early-onset dementia, it is important to chat with them about what you have noticed. Encourage them to visit a medical professional to diagnose the condition. Also, reach out to our offices today so that we can set you up with an appointment with one of our trained counselors who will guide you on your journey.