Young-onset dementia following chronic abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants

Abstract

Young-onset dementia (YOD) is influenced by various risk factors, including substance abuse. In this report, we present the case of a 54-year-old man who developed YOD following prolonged abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants. The patient exhibited insidious cognitive decline over a three-year period before seeking medical attention. Neuroimaging revealed atrophy of the temporal lobe, suggesting a connection between amphetamine-induced neurotoxicity and the cognitive abnormalities observed in the patient condition. Our case highlights the importance of considering amphetamine-type stimulants as potential risk factors for YOD and emphasizes the need to recognize cognitive impairment resulting from substance abuse. Additionally, we look into relevant literature to provide further context and insights. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.4.8737 How to cite this: Alamri SH. Young-onset dementia following chronic abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(4):779-781.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.4.8737 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.