Neuropsychological assessment and differential diagnosis in young-onset dementias

Abstract

Although Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, there are several conditions (ie, frontotemporal dementia or Huntington's disease) associated with a relatively earlier onset. This article provides arguments in favor of a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment in the differential diagnosis of young-onset dementia, as episodic memory impairment is not observed early in the course of most types of young-onset dementia that predominantly affect the domains of behavior, executive, language, and/or motor function.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Frontotemporal dementia; Posterior cortical atrophy; Primary progressive aphasia; Progressive supranuclear palsy.