Frontotemporal Dementia

DisclaimerThis page is not here to be used as a self-diagnosis, self-identification, or promotion - it's simply here to be informational. Whether or not one self-diagnoses, self-identifies, and/or seeks a professional diagnosis is up to them.

**Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)**, also called **Frontotemporal Degenerative**, **Pick's Disease** or **Frontal Lobe Dementia**, is a term for a disorder or group of disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.

## Signs & Symptoms

### Behavioral Symptoms

The most common signs of frontotemporal dementia involve extreme changes in behavior and personality, including:

* Increasingly inappropriate social behavior
* Loss of interpersonal skills, such as losing sensitivity to another's feelings
* Lack of judgement
* Loss of inhibtion
* Lack of interest
* Repetitive compulsive behavior
* A decline in personal hygiene
* Changes in eating habits
* Eating inedible objects
* Compulsive wanting to put things in one's mouth

### Speech and Language Symptoms

Problems with speech and language include:

* Increasing difficulty in using and understanding written and spoken language
* Trouble naming things
* No longer knowing the meaning of words
* Having hesitant speech that may sound telegraphic
* Making mistakes in sentences construction

### Motor-Related Symptoms

Motor-related problems include:

* Tremor
* Rigidity
* Muscle spasms or twitches
* Poor coordination
* Difficulty swallowing
* Muscle weakness
* Inappropriate laughing or crying
* Falls or problems walking

## Causes

In frontotemporal dementia, the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain shrink and substances accumulate in the brain. What causes these changes in typically unknown. One is more likely to develop frontotemporal dementia if they have a family history of dementia.

## Treatment

Frontotemporal dementia cannot be cured, but treatment is aimed at managing and alleviating symptoms.

Antidepressant and antipsychotic medications can help reduce the behavioral problems.

Speech therapy can help one learn to cope with speech difficulties.

## Types of Frontotemporal Dementia

### Behavioral-Variant Frontotemporal Dementia

Behavioral-Variant Frontotemporal Dementia is when the frontal lobes are affected first and the main changes are in personality and behavior.

### Primary Progressive Aphasia

Primary Progressive Aphasia is when there is a loss of language due to damage to the temporal lobes first.

### Semantic Dementia

Semantic Dementia is where the ability to assign meaning to words, to find the correct words, or to name individuals and objects is gradually lost.

### Progressive Non-Fluent Aphasia

Progressive Non-Fluent Aphasia is when an individual has problems speaking and, over time, loses their ability to speak fluently.

## References

https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia/types-of-dementia/frontotemporal-dementia

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/frontotemporal-dementia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354737

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/types-dementia/frontotemporal-dementia

https://www.dementia.org.au/information/about-dementia/types-of-dementia/frontotemporal-dementia

https://www.healthline.com/health/frontotemporal-dementia