Nigeria, Nov. 8 -- There's a widespread belief that dementia affects only older people, but this is not entirely true.

While age is a major risk factor, dementia can also occur in younger individuals. Among younger people, the condition is known as young-onset or early-onset dementia.

Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that affect memory, thinking, behaviour, and the ability to perform everyday activities. It results from damage to brain cells and is most often progressive, meaning symptoms worsen over time.

Dementia is not a single disease but a syndrome caused by various underlying conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, or frontotemporal dementia.

According to the World Health Organisation (...