Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Purpose of review Early-onset Alzheimer disease (AD) is defined as having an age of onset younger than 65 years. While early-onset AD is often overshadowed by the more common late-onset AD, recognition of the differences between early- and late-onset AD is important for clinicians. Recent findings Early-onset AD comprises about 5% to 6% of cases of AD and includes a substantial percentage of phenotypic variants that differ from the usual amnestic presentation of typical AD. Characteristics of early-onset AD in comparison to late-onset AD include a larger genetic predisposition (familial mutations and summed polygenic risk), more aggressive course, more frequent delay in diagnosis, higher prevalence of traumatic brain injury, less memory impairment and greater involvement of other cognitive domains on presentation, and greater psychosocial difficulties. Neuroimaging features of early-onset AD in comparison to late-onset AD include greater frequency of hippocampal sparing and posterior neocortical atrophy, increased tau burden, and greater connectomic changes affecting frontoparietal networks rather than the default mode network. Summary Early-onset AD differs substantially from late-onset AD, with different phenotypic presentations, greater genetic predisposition, and differences in neuropathologic burden and topography. Early-onset AD more often presents with nonamnestic phenotypic variants that spare the hippocampi and with greater tau burden in posterior neocortices. The early-onset AD phenotypic variants involve different neural networks than typical AD. The management of early-onset AD is similar to that of late-onset AD but with special emphasis on targeting specific cognitive areas and more age-appropriate psychosocial support and education.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Mendez, M. F. (2019). Early-onset Alzheimer Disease and Its Variants. Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.). https://doi.org/10.1212/con.0000000000000687
Vancouver
Mendez MF. Early-onset Alzheimer Disease and Its Variants. Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.). 2019. doi:10.1212/con.0000000000000687. PMID: 30707186.
BibTeX
@article{mendez2019-30707186,
author = {Mendez, M. F.},
title = {{Early-onset Alzheimer Disease and Its Variants}},
journal = {Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.)},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1212/con.0000000000000687},
pmid = {30707186},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/con.0000000000000687}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Neuroimaging features of early-onset AD in comparison to late-onset AD include greater frequency of hippocampal sparing and posterior neocortical atrophy, increased tau burden, and greater connectomic changes affecting frontoparietal networks rather than the default mode network.
- Summary Early-onset AD differs substantially from late-onset AD, with different phenotypic presentations, greater genetic predisposition, and differences in neuropathologic burden and topography.
- Early-onset AD more often presents with nonamnestic phenotypic variants that spare the hippocampi and with greater tau burden in posterior neocortices.
- The early-onset AD phenotypic variants involve different neural networks than typical AD.
- The management of early-onset AD is similar to that of late-onset AD but with special emphasis on targeting specific cognitive areas and more age-appropriate psychosocial support and education.
Why it matters
This review describes how early-onset Alzheimer disease differs from late-onset disease, including more genetic predisposition, a more aggressive course, and different brain imaging features. It is descriptive and does not report any treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, so that was left out: it earned 44 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 46 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.)) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 293 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 32.6 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 18.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 12 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 152 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Mario F. Mendez: h-index 81 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System: institution h-index 512 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30707186) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 44 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 44 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 46 out of 100. |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1212/con.0000000000000687
- PubMed: 30707186
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
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