Treating Language Problems In Ftd
Treatment of PPA has two goals maintaining language skills and using new tools and other ways to communicate. Treatment tailored to a persons specific language problem and stage of PPA generally works best. Since language ability declines over time, different strategies may be needed as the illness progresses. The following strategies may help:
- Use a communication notebook , gestures, and drawings to communicate without talking.
- Store lists of words or phrases in a computer or phone to point to.
- Speak slowly and clearly, use simple sentences, wait for responses, and ask for clarification if needed.
- Work with a speech-language pathologist familiar with PPA to determine the best tools and strategies to use. Note that many speech-language pathologists are trained to treat aphasia caused by stroke, which requires different strategies from those used with PPA.
Mri Acquisition And Analysis
Due to the retrospective nature of our study, the scans were obtained with different scanners and variable parameters. The field strength varied from 1.5T to 3.0T . An appropriate 3D T1-weighted MRI scan acquired in the coronal or sagittal plane was available for 128 patients. Slice thickness varied from 0. to 1 mm.
What Causes Frontotemporal Dementia
FTD happens when neurons, a key type of brain cell, deteriorate. This usually happens when there’s a malfunction in how your body creates certain proteins. A key part of how proteins work is their shape. Much like how a key won’t turn or open a lock if it’s not the right shape, your cells can’t use proteins when they’re not the right shape. Your cells often can’t break those faulty proteins down and get rid of them.
With nowhere to go, those misshapen proteins can tangle and clump together. Over time, these faulty proteins accumulate in and around your neurons, damaging those cells until they dont work at all. Experts have linked misfolded proteins with FTD and its related conditions, such as Picks disease. Misfolded proteins also play a role in conditions like Alzheimers disease.
These protein malfunctions happen with certain DNA mutations. DNA is like an instruction manual for your cells, telling them how to do a specific job. Mutations are like typos in the manual. Your cells strictly follow DNA instructions, so even small mutations can cause problems.
Some DNA mutations run in families, which is why about 40% of FTD cases involve a family history of the disease. Mutations can also happen spontaneously, meaning you developed the mutation and didn’t get it from your parents.
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How Is Ftd Diagnosed
FTD can be hard to diagnose because the symptoms are similar to those of other conditions. For example, bvFTD is sometimes misdiagnosed as a mood disorder, such as depression. To make matters more confusing, a person can have both FTD and another type of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Also, because these disorders are rare, physicians may be unfamiliar with the signs and symptoms.
To help diagnose frontotemporal dementia, a doctor may:
- Perform an exam and ask about symptoms
- Look at personal and family medical history
- Use laboratory tests to help rule out other conditions
- Order genetic testing
- Conduct tests to assess memory, thinking, language skills, and physical functioning
- Order imaging of the brain
A psychiatric evaluation can help determine if depression or another mental health condition is causing or contributing to the condition. Only genetic tests in familial cases or a brain autopsy after a person dies can confirm a diagnosis of FTD.
Researchers are studying ways to diagnose FTD earlier and more accurately and to distinguish them from other types of dementia. One area of research involves biomarkers, such as proteins or other substances in the blood or cerebrospinal fluid which can be used to measure disease progression or the effects of treatment. Researchers are also exploring ways to improve brain imaging and neuropsychological testing.
Psp Frontal Lobe Dementia Posture
While there is no perfect memory loss remedy, there are several things that you can do to prevent it. First of all, exercising regularly can help keep your lungs in good shape. People who get regular exercise have better memories, and a regular exercise program can reduce stress. Additionally, exercising can help prevent memory loss by keeping your mind active. Here are some of the best ways to make your brain healthier and keep your mind sharp. Read on to learn more. Psp Frontal Lobe Dementia Posture
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What Is Frontal Lobe Dementia
Dementia is a general term for a cluster of symptoms that include changes in memory or behavior that interfere with daily functioning. Dementia can be progressive or non-progressive. Non-progressive dementia can be caused by vitamin deficiencies or traumatic brain injuries and can sometimes be reversed. Progressive dementia includes the cluster of diseases usually associated with the term and cannot be reversed.
Alzheimers Disease is the most well-known type of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases. Other types of dementia include Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, and the subject of this piece, frontotemporal dementia.
Frontal Lobe Dementia
Frontotemporal Dementia is the official name for frontal lobe dementia. These names refer to the part of the brain affected by the Disease the frontal and temporal lobes. These are the parts of the brain responsible for, among other things, language, personality, and behavior. In FTD, these parts of the brain shrink. They atrophy and experience loss of function. It is not always clear what causes these changes in the brain. In some cases, normal brain activity is interrupted by protein structures, called Pick bodies, that develop inside brain cells. Picks Disease is an old name for FTD that is now reserved for types of FTD where Pick bodies are present.
Types Of FTD
Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia
Description
Difficulty Diagnosing
Primary Progressive Aphasia
Description
Semantic Dementia
Diagnosis
Overlap With Motor Disorders
A small number of people affected by frontotemporal dementia also develop conditions that affect their movement. Motor symptoms can occur either before or after the symptoms of dementia first appear.
These conditions are relatively rare, but include motor neurone disease and other movement disorders such as corticobasal syndrome and progressive supranuclear palsy.
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Clinical Comparison Of Pspftd And Psprs
Clinical features of PSPFTD and PSPRS at presentation and later in the disease course are summarized in Table Table2.2. At initial presentation, only 1 patient with PSPFTD had unexplained falls , whereas 94% of PSPRS patients had early unexplained falls or significant gait disturbance . There was no difference in frequency of vertical gaze palsy or limb dysfunction. All PSPFTD patients had initial cognitive or behavioral problems, including personality changes , a language disorder , or memory complaints. These features were very uncommon as an initial complaint in PSPRS. Disinhibition was significantly more frequent in PSPFTD compared with PSPRS , and a language disorder was also more frequent in PSPFTD . In contrast, motor problems were universal in PSPRS patients at presentation. Parkinsonism, gait disorder, falls, and vertical gaze palsy were significantly more frequent during the disease course in PSPRS compared with PSPFTD. Although all PSPFTD cases were considered to have FTD, more than half of the PSPFTD patients also had mild motor problems, such as falls, gait problems, or parkinsonism .
The Future Of Ftd Treatment
Researchers are continuing to explore the biological changes in the body, including genetic mutations and proteins, that lead to FTD and identify and test possible new drugs and other treatments. They are also developing better ways to track disease progression, so that treatments, when they become available, can be directed to the right people. Clinical trials and studies are underway to advance these efforts. People with FTD and healthy people may be able to participate. To find out more, talk to your health care provider or visit the Alzheimers.gov Clinical Trials Finder.
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What Is Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Progressive supranuclear palsy is a condition that causes both dementia and problems with movement. It is a progressive condition that mainly affects people aged over 60.
The word supranuclear refers to the parts of the brain just above the nerve cells that control eye movement. When a person has PSP these areas become damaged. Palsy means a person is unable to move a part of their body in this case their eye. For a person with PSP, this means:
- they may find it difficult to move their eyes in the direction they want to look particularly up or down
- their eyes may not co-ordinate with each other, which causes blurred or double vision
- their eyelids may not open normally and may become stuck shut.
Who Gets Frontotemporal Dementia
Frontotemporal dementia can affect anyone.
Symptoms of frontotemporal dementia typically occur between the ages of 40 and 65, though it can affect people younger or older than this. Almost a third of people with frontotemporal dementia have a family history of dementia. However, only about 10 to 15 per cent of people with the condition have familial frontotemporal dementia caused by a gene mutation.
The genetic basis of the condition is not fully understood and is being researched.
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Initial Causes Psp Frontal Lobe Dementia Posture
There are several different causes of memory loss. Some cause this condition in the young, while others may be more gradual. If you notice that your memory is weakening, its important to consult a medical professional. Whether the cause is mental illness, age, or a combination of factors, its important to seek treatment as soon as possible. People with extensive memory loss may have social difficulties and anxiety, which can lead to depression. They may be afraid they are letting their loved ones down, which can lead to anxiety and depression. Psp Frontal Lobe Dementia Posture
Fortunately, there are many causes of memory loss, and many of them are treatable. However, if you are experiencing serious memory problems, you may need medical treatment. If you have been undergoing any type of medication, you should consult with your doctor. Some people have other underlying conditions that may be causing their loss of memory. Alcohol abuse, sleep deprivation, or other mental health conditions can cause memory problems. You should seek out a medical professional if you suspect youre suffering from any of these conditions.
Demographics Pathology And Genetics
The 15 autopsyproven PSP cases with antemortem clinical diagnosis of bvFTD were compared with 31 cases of PSP with Richardson syndrome. By design, PSPFTD did not differ from PSPRS with respect to sex, age at death, disease duration, brain weight, Braak neurofibrillary tangle stage, or Thal amyloid phase. They were also similar in neurofibrillary tangle counts with thioflavinS fluorescent microscopy and the severity of neuronal loss assessed semiquantitatively in a ventrolateral cell group of the substantia nigra17 and in the locus coeruleus .1). There were no differences in frequency of MAPT H1H1 or APOE4 between PSPFTD and PSPRS.
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How Is Frontotemporal Dementia Diagnosed And Treated
Frontotemporal dementia can be hard to diagnose because symptoms are similar to other conditions. Also, because these disorders are rare, physicians may be unfamiliar with the signs and symptoms.
Talking with patients, family members, and caregivers can help doctors make a diagnosis. It is important to tell the doctor about any symptoms involving changes in personality and behavior and difficulties with speech or movement.
To diagnose frontotemporal dementia, a doctor may perform an exam and ask about symptoms, look at personal and family medical history, use tests to help rule out other conditions, order genetic testing, conduct an assessment of the mind and behavior, and order imaging of the brain. Only genetic tests in familial cases or a brain autopsy after a person dies can confirm a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. Researchers are studying ways to diagnose the disorders earlier and more accurately and to distinguish them from other types of dementia.
There is no cure for frontotemporal dementia and no way to slow down or prevent it. However, there are ways to help manage symptoms:
Support groups can also be a valuable resource for people with frontotemporal dementias and their caregivers, allowing them to share experiences and tips with others who may be in the same situation. Nonprofit organizations and community organizations may provide online or in-person support groups. Alzheimers Disease Research Centers may also offer education and support groups.
What Are The Symptoms Of Frontotemporal Dementia
Symptoms of FTD start gradually and progress steadily, and in some cases, rapidly. They vary from person to person, depending on the areas of the brain involved. These are common symptoms:
- Behavior and/or dramatic personality changes, such as swearing, stealing, increased interest in sex, or a deterioration in personal hygiene habits
- Socially inappropriate, impulsive, or repetitive behaviors
- Impaired judgment
- Increasing dependence
Some people have physical symptoms, such as tremors, muscle spasms or weakness, rigidity, poor coordination and/or balance, or difficulty swallowing. Psychiatric symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, also may occur, although these are not as common as behavioral and language changes.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Frontotemporal Dementia
The signs and symptoms of frontotemporal dementia vary from person to person and the order in which they appear can also vary. Changes in the frontal lobe of the brain are generally associated with behavioral symptoms and may also lead to movement symptoms. Changes in the temporal lobe generally lead to disorders of language and emotion.
Symptoms of frontotemporal dementia and associated disorders may include:
Fluorodeoxyglucose Pet Acquisition And Analysis
18Fluorodeoxyglucose PET scans were analyzed from patient archives retrospectively. FDG-PET scanning was performed at the Kuopio University Hospital. Subjects were scanned supine in a quiet room, instructed to remain awake with eyes open or closed. An injection of 200 MBq of -2-fluoro-2-D-glucose IV was used. The scan was commenced 60 min after tracer injection, and the duration of the scan was 15 min. FDG-PET scans were available for 64 patients.
PET scans were preprocessed and analyzed with SPM12 software, running on Matlab 2019b . MRI scans were co-registered to PET scans to minimize normalization errors, and then spatially normalized to the T1 MNI152 template with a non-linear registration. The PET scans were corrected for partial volume effects using a three tissue compartmental algorithm with PETPVE12 toolbox . Then, the FDG-PET images were normalized to the average count of cerebellar gray matter using an algorithm implemented in PETPVE12 toolbox . Finally, images were smoothed with full width half maximum 8 mm Gaussian kernel to deal with subtle anatomical variation.
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What Is The Life Expectancy Of Ftd
The average life expectancy after a diagnosis of FTD is 7.5 years. But the condition can progress faster or slower. Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you more about the progress of the disease and the likely timeline. They can also update you throughout the course of the disease if it progresses faster or slower than expected.
Diagnosing Frontal Lobe Dementia
No one test is able to diagnose frontal lobe dementia. Instead physicians are able to use the balance of evidence to diagnose frontal lobe dementia based on their best judgment. Because there is no foolproof test and diagnosis depends on the physicians knowledge, judgment, and observation of the patient, frontal lobe dementia is notoriously difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Although as the disease progresses, it becomes easier to definitely distinguish it between other disorders.
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Types Of Frontotemporal Dementia
There are two primary types and a third rarer form of frontotemporal dementia:
Clinical Assessment Of Pspftd And Psprs
PSPFTD cases had clinical features of FTD described by Neary11 and were included if they had features consistent with the behavioral variant of FTD .12 Other frontotemporal syndromes such as progressive nonfluent aphasia, semantic dementia, or progressive asymmetrical rigidity and apraxia were excluded. The behavioral features recorded on each case were classified as: A, disinhibition B, apathy C, loss of sympathy or empathy D, preservative, stereotyped, or compulsive/ritualistic behavior and E, hyperorality and dietary changes. For clinical diagnosis of Richardson syndrome, we used criteria originally reported by Williams and coworkers, which are similar to recently published Movement Disorder Society criteria.2, 13
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Is Ftd Worse Than Alzheimer’s Disease
FTD and Alzheimers disease are both conditions that can severely affect and disrupt a persons life. Generally, FTD affects people at a younger age than Alzheimers disease. But theres no way to define whether one condition is better or worse than the other because these conditions affect everyone differently.
What Are The Types Of Frontotemporal Dementia
There are several disorders that can result in frontotemporal dementia, all of which can affect middle-aged and older adults.
- Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia is the most common frontotemporal disorder. It causes changes in personality, behavior, emotions, and judgment.
- Primary progressive aphasia involves changes in the ability to communicate to speak, read, write, and understand what others are saying.
- Movement disorders happen when the parts of the brain that control movement are affected. There are two types of rare movement disorders associated with FTD: corticobasal syndrome and progressive supranuclear palsy. Other movement-related disorders include frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism and frontotemporal dementia with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis . Symptoms can vary among these movement disorders.
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