Amongst middle age executives, dementia may not be so common but certainly possible. Dementia that afflicts the younger age group may not be of  the Alzheimer’s type but of another form for example Fronto-temporal Dementia. If the memory loss is consistent, affects day to day functioning and is obvious to family and colleagues, thorough evaluation by a specialist is warranted.

On the other hand, memory loss in the middle age working group may not be due to dementia. Other factors or diseases need to be assessed or excluded first as memory can often improve once these factors / diseases are treated. Examples include stress (exhaustion) from family or work life, lack of sleep, thyroid illness, obstructive sleep apnoea, depression, anxiety disorders, overuse of sedatives, excessive alcohol intake etc.

Most patients with dementia actually look normal hence their memory impairment or functional impairment may often be overlooked by relatives or friends. However, a proportion of patients with dementia may develop negative behavioural and personality changes including delusions , hallucinations (auditory/visual) , increased irritability or agitation, wandering etc.

It is important to note that psychiatric or other medical conditions can also present with these symptoms. Hence, for the profile of patient described in the question above, it is best to seek medical help and evaluation before ascertaining the cause(s).