In an exclusive interview with India Today, Dr. Shitij Kapur, Vice-Chancellor and President of King’s College London, confirmed that early onset dementia is indeed a reality. While dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, typically affects individuals over 70, there is a smaller group that develops dementia in their 50s and 60s, referred to as early onset dementia.

However, Dr. Kapur emphasized that this does not mean dementia is occurring earlier in life. Advances in detection, such as improved MRI technology and better diagnostic tools, have made it possible to identify dementia at an earlier stage. Before these advancements, many cases of early onset dementia went undiagnosed for years.

While the incidence of dementia in younger individuals isn’t rising, cognitive complaints like brain fog have become more common. Gen Z, in particular, has reported experiencing these symptoms, with platforms like TikTok and Reddit frequently discussing “brain rot”—a term that gained viral attention and was named Oxford’s Word of the Year in 2024.

Experts stress that while brain fog and difficulty concentrating may feel concerning, they are not indicators of dementia. Factors such as chronic stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, and excessive screen time often contribute to these cognitive issues. Unlike dementia, which involves irreversible brain degeneration, brain fog is typically reversible with changes in lifestyle.

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