As matters now stand, FTD is a progressive disease for which no disease-modifying treatment exists. It typically strikes people between the ages of 45 and 65, men and women in roughly equal numbers.
As degeneration of the frontal and or temporal lobes of the brain progresses, more functions are affected. In addition to language, behavior, and movement problems, people with FTD develop problems with memory and cognition that somewhat resemble those of Alzheimer’s disease. They also develop physical complications such as pneumonia, infection, and injuries from falls. Among people with FTD, the most common cause of death is pneumonia. Researchers found that the average life expectancy from the start of symptoms is seven to 13 years.