‘Young’ dementia

Sir, Younger people can struggle to obtain a diagnosis of dementia precisely because this is not always acknowledged (report, Mar 11). Young-onset dementia can affect people in their 40s, 50s and 60s, or even younger in some cases. There are also the rarer forms of Alzheimer’s such as Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA). PCA usually affects younger people and early symptoms, mainly to do with visual processing, are not the classic memory issues. I know of people who have had to struggle for years to get a diagnosis of PCA, many of whom have been told they are suffering from stress or depression. We need to get away from the stereotypes; dementia does not just affect older people, nor is it always to do with memory problems.