Emotional and psychological implications of early AD diagnosis.

This article reviews the current recommendations in early diagnosis and the desires of the patients and their relatives, put in perspective with the reality of the clinical practices. More specific situations covered are: (1) the issue of young diseased patients, taking into account the psychological implications of the early occurrence of the disease in life and of the longer delay for these patients between the first observable signs and the diagnosis and (2) the issue of genetic testing, taking into account the implications of this extremely early form of bad news on the individual's existence and on the family structure.