Understanding Early-Onset Dementia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

opened last summer <카시오페아>tells the story of Su-jin (Seo Hyeon-jin), who goes from a perfect lawyer mother to a patient with dementia. After her divorce, Soo-jin prepares for her daughter Gina’s (Joo Ye-rim) study abroad in the United States while living a perfect life as her mother and her talented lawyer.

Some time later, Sujin gets into a car accident, and at the hospital, she is told that she has dementia. For Su-jin, who is afraid that she will not recognize her beloved daughter, her father, In-woo (Ahn Seong-ki), stands by Su-jin’s side, and their loving companionship begins.

Su-jin denies the harsh fate given to her for living harder than anyone else and tries to commit suicide in anger. After her daughter Ji-na, who left her study abroad, found out about Su-jin’s dementia in early childhood, she returned home with her father and comforted Su-jin, showing the transformation of her relationship.

This film depicts the miserable reality related to dementia in early childhood as it is, but it feels somewhat unrealistic to see a father who is always caring and a daughter who accepts and comforts her mother even at a young age.

‘Elementary dementia’ in this movie refers to dementia that comes at an early age under the age of 65, mainly in the 40s and 50s. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of early dementia, but there are also vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and alcoholic dementia.

Vascular dementia is caused by clogged blood vessels in the brain or by bad lifestyle habits such as drinking alcohol. In particular, drinking accounts for about 10% of the causes of dementia in the early stages, and if the ‘film break phenomenon’ repeats after drinking, then dementia in the early stages should be suspected. Early-stage dementia progresses much faster than senile dementia, requiring active treatment at an early stage.

According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, as the population ages and the average life expectancy increases, the number of people with dementia among the elderly aged 65 or older is projected to rise to about 840,000 in 2020, 1 million in 2024, and 3.02 million in 2050. Considering that the number of patients with early stage dementia accounts for about 10% of general patients, it is estimated that there will be 80,000 in 2020, 100,000 in 2024, and 300,000 in 2050.

The symptoms of early dementia are not very different from those of senile dementia, such as suddenly not remembering the way you used to go, or not remembering where you put things. If these symptoms recur, you must consult a specialist. If early-stage dementia is progressing, normal daily life becomes difficult because memory gradually fades, the ability to judge is lacking, and the ability to calculate becomes insensitive.

Early dementia is a disease that appears when brain nerve cell damage occurs in the cerebrum, which is in charge of memory and cognition, no different from general dementia. Since the effects that can be obtained from drugs are limited, it is effective to improve lifestyle together rather than relying only on drugs. In particular, early dementia is closely related to drinking, smoking, conversation, and eating habits, so it is helpful to walk a short distance and start a new hobby that you have not done before.

Prevention of early dementia is not much different from general dementia. From a young age, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels should be checked and managed regularly. People with high blood pressure or obesity should be careful.

A related expert said, “In the case of early dementia, people are easily atrophied at the thought of dementia at a young age, and brain degeneration can come quickly.”

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