Is there link between lower child intelligence and early-onset dementia?

alida · Newbie Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 2

Hello! My father has had early onset dementia for over two years now. He is sixty years old but his problems started almost five years ago and it took very long for my father to be diagnosed since we believed dementia only affects older people. I have a six year old son. He did some intelligence test and his results were bad. Is dementia inheritable? Is there link between lower child intelligence and early-onset dementia?

elsie · Newbie Joined: 22 May 2005 Posts: 5

Hello! Don’t worry, dementia is not hereditary and it is not proven that there is a link between childhood intelligence and early-onset dementia. There are some studies which suggested that environmental factors during childhood could contribute to the likelihood of developing dementia but the strong link between lower intelligence and dementia hasn’t been proved. I am not surprised with the fact that your father’s dementia took some time before it was diagnosed. There are many health professionals who have never dealt with such an illness and also many people are not even aware of. Most of us connect dementia with people who are older then 65 but early onset dementia includes a range of diseases affecting memory and thinking in people under the age of 65.

Is there link between lower child intelligence and early-onset dementia?

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