BRAIN DISEASE ON RISE

RECORD numbers of young people are coming down with the progressive brain disorder Alzheimer's - and some are as young as 40. Nobody knows what causes the disease, but common symptoms include confusion, mood swings, aggression, inability to learn, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, then increasing loss of body control followed by death. Research indicates the disease is associated with plaques and tangles in the brain and although it is not thought to be directly inherited some genetic factors may make it more likely. There are an estimated 27million sufferers worldwide and on average most people die within seven to 14 years after first being diagnosed. There are no treaments that halt or even slow the spread of the disease and it is thought that one person in 85 will be affected by the year 2050. Doctors warn there are at least 4,000 people under the age of 65 living with dementia in Ireland, of which Alzheimer's disease is the most common form. Mary Hickey, of the Alzheimer's Association of Ireland, warns the number of sufferers is increasing, and claims the problem can only get worse. She said: "There are 44,000 cases of dementia in Ireland Rosetta Stone at the moment - and any figure you hear in relation to dementia will always be an underestimate because it's very difficult to diagnose the disease in the early stages. "There are at least 4,000 sufferers under 65 - and that's an underestimate, too, because for someone who's under 65, such as a man who lost his job or was fired, some of the early signs of dementia could be mistaken for depression." At the Tymon North Alzheimer's Centre in Tallaght, Co Dublin, a drop-in centre to stop younger people with dementia from becoming housebound, staff try to keep young sufferers separate from the OAPs, so they won't see how mentally infirm they will become. Mary explained they try to keep people with early onset dementia in groups with people of their own age for as long as possible. She said: "We try to bring people out of the centre to any events or locations that are of any interest. "One of the big problems for someone having dementia is a lack of confidence in getting out and about. "It can be very difficult if you get on the bus if you don't have your pass, or you get off at a stop too early and don't know where you are, it can take you some hours to get home. "All of these events that people do not talk about just chip away at the people's confidence." Mary added: "If you tghink you, or someone dear to you, may be a sufferer, see your doctor and get a clear diagnosis. Don't suffer alone."

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