Frontotemporal dementia is a rare disorder that affects the front (frontal lobes) and the sides (temporal lobes) of the brain. Because these regions often, but not always, shrink, brain imaging can be useful in diagnosis.
There is no specific abnormality associated with all cases of frontotemporal dementia. In one type called Pick's disease, there are abnormal microscopic deposits called Pick bodies, but these are not always present.
Symptoms
A more rapid onset than in Alzheimer's disease.
The first symptoms often involve changes in personality, judgment, planning and social functioning. Individuals may make rude or off-color remarks to family or strangers. They may make unwise decisions about finances or personal matters.
Individuals' feelings may seem disconnected from the situation. They may show apathy and loss of interest or excessive happiness and excitement.
Individuals may have a strong desire to eat and gain weight as a result.
There are no treatments approved by the FDA for frontotemporal dementia, and none that have been shown to be effective.
More information
Mayo Clinic Ask a Nervous System Specialist: Frontotemporal Dementia
www.mayoclinic.com
This feature is from the Ask a Specialist section of the Mayo Clinic's consumer health information Web site.
Medline Plus: Pick's Disease www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
Medline Plus is a consumer health information service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health INIH). This Medline Plus encyclopedia article provides basic information about symptoms, causes and treatment of Pick's disease, one type of frontotemporal dementia.
