Is childhood dementia the same as adult dementia?
Childhood and adult dementia result in the same hallmark symptoms and both are fatal, however the causes are different. For adults, there are more than 100 medical conditions that can lead to dementia, with the most common cause being Alzheimer’s disease. Childhood dementia is caused by over 100 different genetic conditions with symptom onset during childhood.
Both children and adults with dementia experience hallmark features of dementia including:
- Decline in cognitive ability
- Problems with attention and concentration
- Memory loss and learning difficulties
- Problems with thinking and reasoning
- Confusion and disorientation
- Uncooperative behaviour
- Emotional disturbance including anxiety, fear and panic attacks
- Personality and behavioural changes which can include aggression, irritability, and hyperactivity
- Sleep disturbance which is often severe
- Deterioration of social skills
- Psychosis including hallucinations
- Loss of speech
- Incontinence
However, in contrast to most adult-onset dementia, and in addition to the symptoms above, childhood dementia is commonly associated with the following:
- Seizures
- Loss of vision and hearing
- Movement disorders such as muscle spasms and ataxia
- Involvement of other organs and physiological systems such as the liver, gastrointestinal system, bones and joints and the heart
