Frontotemporal Dementia
Frontotemporal dementia is a group of disorders caused by progressive cell degeneration in the brain's frontal lobes or its temporal lobes. The cell damage caused by frontotemporal dementia leads to tissue shrinkage and reduced function in the brain's frontal and temporal lobes, which control planning and judgment; emotions, speaking and understanding speech and certain types of movement. In those younger than age 65, FTD may account for up to 20 to 50 percent of dementia cases. People usually develop FTD in their 50s or early 60s, making the disorder relatively more common in this younger age group. Symptoms can begin to appear on average around 45 to 65 years of age, regardless of gender.
Experts group frontotemporal dementia into main categories. Initially, these groups tend to cause different core symptoms based on the first parts of the brain's frontal or temporal lobes they affect, but there's increasing overlap in symptoms as these disorders progress. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) takes its greatest toll on personality and behavior. It may begin with subtle changes that may be mistaken for depression. As bvFTD progresses people often develop disinhibition, a striking loss of restraint in personal relations and social life. FTD movement disorders affect certain involuntary, automatic muscle functions. These disorders also may impair language and behavior.
There is no single test or any combination of tests that can conclusively diagnose frontotemporal dementia. FTD is a "clinical" diagnosis representing a doctor's best professional judgment about the reason for a person's symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) often plays a key role in diagnosis because it can detect shrinkage in the brain's frontal and temporal lobes.
Researchers have identified abnormal deposits of several proteins inside the brain cells of those who died with frontotemporal dementia. Scientists have not yet learned what causes these protein abnormalities or
Experts group frontotemporal dementia into main categories. Initially, these groups tend to cause different core symptoms based on the first parts of the brain's frontal or temporal lobes they affect, but there's increasing overlap in symptoms as these disorders progress. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) takes its greatest toll on personality and behavior. It may begin with subtle changes that may be mistaken for depression. As bvFTD progresses people often develop disinhibition, a striking loss of restraint in personal relations and social life. FTD movement disorders affect certain involuntary, automatic muscle functions. These disorders also may impair language and behavior.
There is no single test or any combination of tests that can conclusively diagnose frontotemporal dementia. FTD is a "clinical" diagnosis representing a doctor's best professional judgment about the reason for a person's symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) often plays a key role in diagnosis because it can detect shrinkage in the brain's frontal and temporal lobes.
Researchers have identified abnormal deposits of several proteins inside the brain cells of those who died with frontotemporal dementia. Scientists have not yet learned what causes these protein abnormalities or