Increased telomere length in patients with frontotemporal dementia syndrome

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a common neurodegenerative dementia syndrome. Compulsive behaviors frequently occur in FTD and may be presenting symptoms of this disorder. This study evaluated compulsive behaviors as presenting symptoms in 29 patients with FTD compared to 48 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) enrolled in the UCLA Alzheimer's Disease Center. The FTD patients met the Lund and Manchester criteria for FTD and had predominant frontal hypoperfusion on single-photon emission computer tomography neuroimaging. The AD patients met National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders criteria for clinically probable AD. Compulsive behaviors occurred in 11 FTD patients (38%) versus 5 AD patients (10%) (χ2 = 6.73, P < .01). This difference persisted after controlling for the younger age of the FTD group. There was a range of compulsive behaviors, with the most frequent being repetitive checking activities. Compulsive behaviors are common presenting symptoms among FTD patients and may result from an inability to inhibit urges to perform compulsive movements from damage to frontal-striatal circuits.

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Vestibular Impairment in Frontotemporal Dementia Syndrome

Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra ◽

10.1159/000445870 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 194-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kiyotaka Nakamagoe ◽

Kotarou Kadono ◽

Tadachika Koganezawa ◽

Mao Takiguchi ◽

Makoto Terada ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Vestibular Function ◽

Clinical Syndrome ◽

Gait Disturbance ◽

Healthy Elderly ◽

Dementia Syndrome ◽

Caloric Nystagmus ◽

System Objective ◽

Caloric Tests

Background: No studies to date have attempted to evaluate frontotemporal lobar degeneration from the perspective of the vestibular system. Objective: The present study examined vestibular function in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) clinical syndrome and evaluated whether vestibular disorders are involved in the clinical symptoms due to FTD. Methods: Fourteen patients with FTD syndrome, as well as healthy elderly controls without dementia, were included in the present study. All subjects underwent vestibular function tests using electronystagmography, such as caloric tests and visual suppression (VS) tests, in which the induced caloric nystagmus was suppressed by visual stimuli. The association between clinical symptoms and vestibular function in the FTD syndrome group was further examined. Results: In the FTD syndrome group, caloric nystagmus was not necessarily suppressed during VS tests. Furthermore, VS was observed to be significantly impaired in FTD syndrome patients with gait disturbance as compared to those without such disturbance. Conclusion: The present study revealed that impairment of VS in patients with FTD results in an inability to regulate vestibular function by means of visual perception, regardless of multiple presumed neuropathological backgrounds. This could also be associated with gait disturbance in patients with FTD syndrome.

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Frontotemporal dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies in a case-control study of Alzheimer's disease

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610209009454 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 688-695 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Olivier Piguet ◽

Glenda M. Halliday ◽

Helen Creasey ◽

G. Anthony Broe ◽

Jillian J. Kril

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Clinical Diagnosis ◽

Dementia With Lewy Bodies ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Lewy Bodies ◽

Case Control ◽

Dementia Syndrome ◽

Control Study

ABSTRACTBackground: The clinical presentations in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) overlap considerably with that of Alzheimer's disease (AD) despite different pathological processes. Autopsy studies have also shown that multiple brain pathology occurs frequently, even in cases with a single clinical diagnosis. We aimed to determine the frequency of clinical diagnosis of FTD and DLB and the underlying pathology in a well-characterized cohort of patients with a clinical diagnosis of probable or possible AD.Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 170 AD patients (probable AD = 83; possible AD = 87) originally enrolled in a case-control study, 27 with postmortem examination, to establish the number of cases meeting probable diagnosis for FTD and DLB, using a checklist of features compiled from their consensus criteria.Results: 23/83 probable AD cases and 32/87 possible AD cases met probable criteria for another dementia, more commonly DLB than FTD. AD pathology was present in 8/15 probable AD and 8/12 possible AD cases coming to autopsy. DLB pathology was seen in four cases and FTD pathology in eight cases. In the AD cases reaching clinical diagnosis for a second dementia syndrome and coming to autopsy, a minority showed non-AD pathology only.Conclusions: Presence of core clinical features of non-AD dementia syndromes is common in AD. Concordance between clinical and pathological diagnoses of dementia remains variable. We propose that repeat clinical examinations and structural neuroimaging will improve diagnostic accuracy. In addition, clinical diagnostic criteria for the main dementia syndromes require refinement.

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Slowly progressive behavioral frontotemporal dementia syndrome in a family co‐segregating the C9orf 72 expansion and a Synaptophysin mutation

Alzheimer s & Dementia ◽

10.1002/alz.12409 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Joana Prota ◽

Liara Rizzi ◽

Luciana Bonadia ◽

Leonardo Cruz Souza ◽

Paulo Caramelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Dementia Syndrome

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Adult-Onset Leukoencephalopathy with Axonal Spheroids and Pigmented Glia Can Present as Frontotemporal Dementia Syndrome

Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders ◽

10.1159/000331422 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 150-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Janice C. Wong ◽

Tiffany W. Chow ◽

Lili-Naz Hazrati

Keyword(s):

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Adult Onset ◽

Axonal Spheroids ◽

Dementia Syndrome

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Pharmacology Issues Related to Dementia Syndrome of Depression in Elderly Residents of Long-Term Care Settings

Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders ◽

10.1044/nnsld25.2.61 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 61-69

Author(s):

Angel L. Ball ◽

Adina S. Gray

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

The Elderly ◽

Environmental Communication ◽

Pharmacological Intervention ◽

Team Approach ◽

Discussion Paper ◽

Term Care ◽

Anticholinergic Medications ◽

Inappropriate Treatment ◽

Dementia Syndrome

Pharmacological intervention for depressive symptoms in institutionalized elderly is higher than the population average. Among the patients on such medications are those with a puzzling mix of symptoms, diagnosed as “dementia syndrome of depression,” formerly termed “pseudodementia”. Cognitive-communicative changes, potentially due to medications, complicate the diagnosis even further. This discussion paper reviews the history of the terminology of “pseudodementia,” and examines the pharmacology given as treatment for depressive symptoms in the elderly population that can affect cognition and communication. Clinicians can reduce the risk of misdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment by having an awareness of potential side effects, including decreased attention, memory, and reasoning capacities, particularly due to some anticholinergic medications. A team approach to care should include a cohesive effort directed at caution against over-medication, informed management of polypharmacology, enhancement of environmental/communication supports and quality of life, and recognizing the typical nature of some depressive signs in elderly institutionalized individuals.

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