What is (are) Frontotemporal dementia ?
Frontotemporal dementia describes a group of conditions associated with shrinking of the frontal and temporal anterior lobes of the brain. Symptoms include either variable changes in behavior (e.g., impulsive, bored, listless, lack of social contact, lack of empathy, distractibility, blunted emotions, compulsive behavior, decreased energy and motivation) or problems with language (e.g., difficulty making or understanding speech). Spatial skills and memory remain intact. There is a strong genetic component to the disease; it often runs in families. There is no cure for frontotemporal dementia at this time, as a result treatment remains supportive. Although the name and classification of FTD has been a topic of discussion for over a century, the current classification of the syndrome groups together Picks disease, primary progressive aphasia, and semantic dementia as FTD. Some doctors propose adding corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy to FTD and calling the group Pick Complex. You can click on the links to view the GARD pages on these conditions.