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Frontotemporal dementia

Frontotemporal dementia is a brain disorder affecting primarily the lobes (temporal and frontal) of the brain, associated with personality, behavior, and language. 

Symptoms

Signs of frontotemporal dementia can include:

Personality and behavior changes

  • Acting inappropriately or impulsively,
  • Appearing selfish or unsympathetic,
  • Neglecting personal hygiene,
  • Overeating or loss of motivation

Language problems

  • Speaking slowly
  • Struggling with proper pronunciation of words
  • Getting words in the wrong order (irregular sentence pattern) or using words incorrectly

Problems with mental abilities

  • Getting distracted easily,
  • Struggling with planning and organization
Memory problems

Problems with memory tend to happen later on, as Alzheimer’s disease. 

Causes

A clump of abnormal protein forming inside the brain cells causes frontotemporal dementia. It is thought to injure the cells and stop them from working properly; what causes this is unknown—the temporal and frontal lobes of the brain shrink, accumulating certain substances in the brain. But specific genetic mutations are linked to frontotemporal dementia (in sporadic cases).

Test and treatments

No single test for frontotemporal dementia.

Frontotemporal dementia
The following test can make a diagnosis:

  • Assessing the symptoms
  • Assessing the mental stability
  • Blood tests
  • Brain scans – CT scan, MRI scan, or PT scan
  • Lumbar puncture

Currently, there’s no cure for frontotemporal dementia. But certain medications help control some symptoms, possibly for several years.

Treatments include:

  • Medicines – to control behavioral problems
  • Therapies – physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy
  • Dementia activities
  • Support groups – offer tips on handling signs from experts and people living with frontotemporal dementia

Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD
Page last reviewed: 04 October 2022