Study found 30% of youngsters have a mutation of a gene called presenilin 1 (PSEN1), which makes them more likely to develop Alzheimer's early Researchers say it offers them a critical opportunity to look for early signs of the disease before symptoms appear

By Anna Hodgekiss

PUBLISHED: 03:32 EST, 6 November 2012 | UPDATED: 05:47 EST, 6 November 2012

A form of Alzheimer's disease has been found in some teenagers - more than 20 years before symptoms even develop, according to a new study.

Research on a group of young adults found about 30 per cent have a mutation of a gene called presenilin 1 (PSEN1), which makes them more likely to develop Alzheimer's at an unusually young age.

Although the inherited form of the disease is rare, the researchers say it offers them a critical opportunity to look for early signs of the disease before clinical symptoms appear.

U.S. scientists found that around 30 per cent of young people had a mutation of a gene called presenilin 1 (PSEN1), which makes them more likely to develop Alzheimer's at an unusually young age (posed by models)

Disappointing results in recent drug trials of prospective Alzheimer's treatments is thought to be down to timing - once the symptoms of the disease are apparent, damage to the nervous system may already be too extensive for drug treatments to have their greatest impact.

As a result, if scientists could identify signs that an individual is likely to get Alzheimer's before symptoms appear, this could lead to more effective clinical trials, and result in advances in prevention of the disease.

In the new study, published in the journal Lancet Neurology, the researchers performed brain imaging, blood tests and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on 44 adults aged 18 to 26.

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Dementia gene found in a third of teenagers

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