Scientists discover mutations associated with early onset of dementia ANI | Updated: Dec 22, 2020 22:05 IST Dublin [Ireland], December 22 (ANI): Scientists at Trinity College Dublin today announced a significant advance in our understanding of an early-onset form of dementia that may also progress our understanding of conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. Adult-onset Leukoencephalopathy with axonal Spheroids and Pigmented glia (ALSP) is an ultra-rare condition characterised by mutations in a gene called Colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R). The condition manifests initially with psychiatric and behavioural changes in patients followed by a rapid progression of dementia in the third or fourth decade of life. While the condition is very rare, for affected families, it can represent a devastating diagnosis.