What are the first signs of frontotemporal dementia?

With FTD, unusual or antisocial behavior as well as loss of speech or language are usually the first symptoms. In later stages, patients develop movement disorders such as unsteadiness, rigidity, slowness, twitches, muscle weakness or difficulty swallowing.

At what age does frontotemporal dementia FTD usually occur?

FTD is rare and tends to occur at a younger age than other forms of dementia. Roughly 60% of people with FTD are 45 to 64 years old. FTD is progressive, meaning symptoms get worse over time. In the early stages, people may have just one symptom.

What are the 7 stages of frontotemporal dementia?

Does frontal lobe dementia affect walking?

Frontotemporal dementia is caused by a group of disorders that gradually damage the brain's frontal and temporal lobes. These damages cause changes in thinking and behaviors. Symptoms can include unusual behaviors, emotional problems, trouble communicating, challenges with work, and difficulty with walking.

What are the early warning signs of frontotemporal dementia?

Symptoms of frontotemporal dementia

language problems – speaking slowly, struggling to make the right sounds when saying a word, getting words in the wrong order, or using words incorrectly. problems with mental abilities – getting distracted easily, struggling with planning and organisation.

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) from a Caregiver - Part 1: First Signs

What is the hallmark of frontotemporal dementia?

The most common signs of frontotemporal dementia involve extreme changes in behavior and personality. These include: Increasingly inappropriate social behavior. Loss of empathy and other interpersonal skills, such as having sensitivity to another's feelings.

What is the 5 word memory test?

Abstract. Introduction: The five-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of aging people and has previously shown its sensitivity and its specificity in identifying patients with AD.

How fast does frontal lobe dementia progress?

Most studies show that FTD is steadily progressive, with declining function in everyday life and accumulation of social, cognitive, and neurological disabilities leading to complete dependency requiring institutional care over a course of 6–8 years[9].

How do you slow down frontal lobe dementia?

There is no cure for FTD and no way to slow it down or prevent it. However, there are ways to help manage symptoms, which include changes in behavior, speech, and movement. Managing behavior changes in FTD. Try to recognize it's the illness “talking” and accept rather than challenge people with behavioral symptoms.

What is the life expectancy of someone with frontotemporal dementia?

The average life expectancy for a person after diagnosis with FTD is 7.5 years. While FTD isn't fatal on its own, it often causes other issues that are serious or even life-threatening. One common problem that often happens as FTD gets worse is dysphagia (trouble swallowing).

What can mimic frontotemporal dementia?

People with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are often misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD), psychiatric disorders, vascular dementia or Parkinson's disease. The early symptoms and the brain image are often the most helpful tools to reach the right diagnosis.

What are 3 features of frontotemporal dementia?

Does frontal lobe dementia show on MRI?

Frontal and temporal lobe atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with relative preservation of posterior areas, represent the imaging hallmark of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (the neuropathological changes underlying FTD) (Neary et al. 1998).

What drugs should be avoided in frontotemporal dementia?

Drugs that are commonly used to treat other types of dementia are not recommended for people with FTD. These drugs, known as cholinesterase inhibitors (for example, donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine) can actually make the symptoms of FTD worse.

What is the gait of frontotemporal dementia?

Patients with FTD have a tendency to tilt forward, but AD have tendency to tilt backward. This unique information indicates a differential pattern of balance and gait impairment subclinically in cortical dementias.

What causes death in frontal lobe dementia?

Pneumonia is the most common cause of death in those who have frontotemporal dementia. They also are at increased risk for infections and fall-related injuries.

Do people with frontal lobe dementia sleep a lot?

It is quite common for a person with dementia, especially in the later stages, to spend a lot of their time sleeping – both during the day and night. This can sometimes be distressing for the person's family and friends, as they may worry that something is wrong.

What meds are best for frontal lobe dementia?

Some types of antidepressants, such as trazodone, may reduce the behavioral problems associated with frontotemporal dementia. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) — such as citalopram (Celexa), paroxetine (Paxil) or sertraline (Zoloft) — also have been effective in some people.

Does frontal lobe dementia run in families?

In some families, there is a single faulty gene that will definitely cause FTD if it is passed down from a parent to a child. This is known as 'familial FTD'. About 10 to 15 in every 100 people with FTD have this type. Any child of a person with familial FTD has a 1 in 2 chance of getting the same gene.

Why do dementia patients crave sweets?

Abnormal sweet-food craving may occur in subjects with Alzheimer's disease. This behavior may be due to abnormalities in the brain serotonin system. Fenfluramine stimulates the brain serotonin neurosystem, producing an increase in systemic prolactin.

What is the 3 word memory test?

The Mini-Cog test.

A third test, known as the Mini-Cog, takes 2 to 4 minutes to administer and involves asking patients to recall three words after drawing a picture of a clock. If a patient shows no difficulties recalling the words, it is inferred that he or she does not have dementia.

What is the interlocking finger test for dementia?

Simplistically, the test involves an examiner putting his or her hands into a specific shape — for example, interlocking the fingers in a particular manner — and then having the patient try to mimic it. Patients are evaluated on how well they can reproduce the specific shape created by the examiner.

What is the home test for dementia?

The Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam (SAGE) is a brief self-administered cognitive screening instrument used to identify mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from any cause and early dementia.

What is the most common form of frontal lobe dementia?

Behavior changes are often the first noticeable symptoms in bvFTD, the most common form of FTD. Behavior changes are also common as Alzheimer's progresses, but they tend to occur later in the disease.

What are the behavior changes in frontotemporal dementia?

Social withdrawal, apathy and limited interest in family, friends and hobbies may become evident. At times, they may behave inappropriately with strangers, lose their social manners, act impulsively and even break laws. People experiencing these changes may become self-centered, emotionally distant and withdrawn.