Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2009) 15: 380-388. doi: 10.1192/apt.bp.107.004572
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Early-onset dementia

Kate Jefferies and Niruj Agrawal

Kate Jefferies is a consultant in old age psychiatry at Farnham Road Hospital, Guildford. She has a special interest in early-onset dementia and runs a specialist service for early-onset dementia in Guildford and Waverley. She is also currently involved in the future development of a Surrey-wide assessment service for people with early-onset dementia. Niruj Agrawal is a consultant neuropsychiatrist at St George’s Hospital London and an honorary senior lecturer with St George’s, University of London. He is responsible for providing tertiary care neuropsychiatry services for the population of south-west London and patients attending Atkinson Morley Regional Neurosciences Centre (St George’s Hospital) and the Wolfson Neurorehabilitation Centre, Wimbledon.

Correspondence: Correspondence Dr Niruj Agrawal, Department of Neuropsychiatry, St George’s Hospital, London SW17 0QT, UK. Email: Niruj.Agrawal{at}swlstg-tr.nhs.uk

Dementia is is stereotypically associated with older people. However, in a significant minority it can affect people in their 40s and 50s, or even younger. Currently there is a lack of awareness, even among healthcare professionals, and there is a dearth of appropriate services for such patients. Despite the attention given to this condition by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines, provision of specialist early-onset dementia services in the UK remains patchy. Carers and patients often find themselves being passed ‘from pillar to post’ between psychiatry and neurology, and also between adult, old age and liaison psychiatry. The responsibility for identifying available and appropriate help is often left with carers. This leads to unnecessary delays, causes undue distress to patients and places an added burden on carers.