Medication
Participating in hobbies outside the home may help ease some stress. When a person with frontotemporal dementia requires 24-hour care, most families turn to nursing homes. Plans made ahead of time will make this transition easier and may allow the person to be involved in the decision-making process.
Therapy
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are attractive agents for use in FTD patients as they have historically been successful in treating clinical symptoms in psychiatric patients that resemble some of the problematic FTD behaviors. Moreover, there is evidence of serotonergic neuronal loss in autopsy specimens from FTD patients.
How can I help someone with frontotemporal dementia?
It may also be helpful to get in touch with a support group, such as Rare Dementia Support, the Alzheimer's Society or Dementia UK. Read more about living well with dementia.
Are SSRI’s effective for treatment of frontotemporal dementia?
Dopaminergic therapies While anti-psychotic treatments rely on dopamine blockade, imaging, cerebrospinal fluid, and autopsy evidence have suggested that there is dopaminergic system dysfunction in FTD [42]. Thus, leading to use of medications that augment the dopaminergic system.
Where can I find support for people with dementia?
How is frontal lobe dementia (FTD) treated?
What is the best treatment for frontotemporal dementia?
There's currently no cure or specific treatment for frontotemporal dementia. Drugs used to treat or slow Alzheimer's disease don't seem to be helpful for people with frontotemporal dementia, and some may worsen the symptoms of frontotemporal dementia.
How do I get tested for FTD?
How is FTD diagnosed?Assessments. Blood tests and a full physical examination are important to rule out other possible causes of symptoms. ... Scans. CT (computerised tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans are used to see what parts of the brain are most damaged. ... Genetic testing. ... Post-mortem examination.
Is frontotemporal dementia treatable?
There's currently no cure for frontotemporal dementia, but there are treatments that can help manage some of the symptoms.
How long does someone live with frontal lobe dementia?
Duration and Treatment The length of FTD varies, with some patients declining rapidly over two to three years, and others showing only minimal changes over a decade. Studies have shown persons with FTD to live with the disease an average of eight years, with a range from three years to 17 years.
Does frontotemporal dementia show up on MRI?
Atrophy or shrinkage of specific regions of the brain that might be suggestive of FTD can be identified by MRI.
What can mimic frontotemporal dementia?
Psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, manic-depression, and major depression, can mimic frontotemporal dementia, but there is often a longstanding history of psychiatric disease and differences in specific patterns of abnormal social behaviors.
What are 5 extreme behavior changes found with FTD?
Lack of interest (apathy), which can be mistaken for depression. Repetitive compulsive behavior, such as tapping, clapping or smacking lips. A decline in personal hygiene. Changes in eating habits, usually overeating or developing a preference for sweets and carbohydrates.
How do you slow down frontotemporal dementia?
Frontotemporal dementia is a neurodegenerative condition that tends to strike people between the ages of 45 and 65. Researchers say lifestyle changes can reduce a younger adult's risk of getting this disease. Experts recommend moderate physical exercise, mental games such as puzzles, and quality sleep.
What is the main cause of frontotemporal dementia?
Frontotemporal dementia is caused by clumps of abnormal protein forming inside brain cells. These are thought to damage the cells and stop them working properly. The proteins mainly build up in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain at the front and sides.
Is frontotemporal dementia a terminal?
FTD is not life-threatening ─ people may live with it for years. But it can lead to an increased risk for other illnesses that can be more serious. Pneumonia is the most common cause of death, with FTD. People are also at increased risk for infections and fall-related injuries.
What I can do to improve my temporal lobe?
Listen to a lot of great music. Music, from country to jazz, from rock to classical, is one of the true joys of life. Music has healing properties. Listening to it can activate and stimulate the temporal lobes and bring peace or excitement to your mind.
Does frontotemporal dementia run in families?
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a highly heritable group of neurodegenerative disorders, with around 30% of patients having a strong family history.
What is the treatment for frontotemporal dementia?
Antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may offer some relief from apathy and depression and help reduce food cravings, loss of impulse control and compulsive activity.
Do FTD patients need nursing home care?
Doctors don't yet fully understand the connection between the two diseases but are studying the trend. Many FTD patients remain at home and others require nursing home care. Being a caregiver of an FTD patient can be physically and emotionally exhausting.
Does FTD affect nerves?
These drugs temporarily increase supplies of the messenger chemical acetylcholine to failing nerves, but FTD does not affect nerves in the acetylcholine communication system. Some patients with FTD develop Lou Gherig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
What are the best professionals to help with FTD?
Supporting a person with FTD often involves a team of professionals that can include a: GP. community nurse. psychiatrist. speech and language therapist. neurologist. social worker. When someone has problems with movement or co-ordination, support from a physiotherapist or occupational therapist can also help.
What to do if you have a FTD?
If drugs are being considered, the person with FTD should be referred to a specialist who can advise on the risks and benefits. Remember carers need support too. Changes in behaviour can be very distressing for anyone caring for someone with FTD and it’s important that carers are supported as well.
What is the number to call for Alzheimer's?
Along with talking to their GP, it may be helpful to call Alzheimer’s Society support line on 0333 150 3456 or visit our online community, Talking Point.
What can support groups do for FTD?
Support groups can offer useful advice and emotional support to people living with FTD and those who care for them.
How to help someone with FTD?
Physical exercise, music or other activities that the person enjoys or finds useful are also very helpful. These activities are often the most effective way of helping a person with FTD to maintain a good quality of life. It is important to try this before considering any drug treatments, such as antipsychotics.
How to distract someone with dementia?
distract the person – such as asking them a question about a completely different topic n explain to other people that the person has dementia .
Can a person with FTD have a social life?
Many people with FTD have an active social life for some years after diagnosis. However, changes in their behaviour can make social situations more challenging, both for the person with dementia and those who care for them.
What is the best treatment for dementia?
physiotherapy – to help with movement difficulties. relaxation techniques – such as massage, and music or dance therapy. social interaction, leisure activities and other dementia activities – such as memory cafes, which are drop-in sessions for people with memory problems and their carers to get support and advice.
Is there a cure for frontotemporal dementia?
There's currently no cure for frontotemporal dementia, but there are treatments that can help manage some of the symptoms.
Can medicine stop frontotemporal dementia?
Medicines cannot stop frontotemporal dementia getting worse, but it can help reduce some of the symptoms for some people.
What is frontotemporal dementia?
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) encompasses a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases with heterogeneous clinical presentations and two predominant types of underlying neuropathology. FTD typically comprises three distinct clinical syndromes: behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), and nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA). FTD also frequently overlaps both clinically and neuropathologically with three other neurodegenerative syndromes: corticobasal syndrome (CBS), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Each syndrome can be associated with one or more underlying neuropathological diagnoses and are referred to as frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Although the various FTD syndromes can substantially differ in terms of clinical symptoms and underlying pathology, the symptoms can be broadly categorized into behavioral, cognitive and motor domains. Currently there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved therapies for the above syndromes except riluzole for ALS. FTD treatment strategies generally rely on off-label use of medications for symptomatic management, and most therapies lack quality evidence from randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. For behavioral symptoms, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be effective, while case reports hint at possible efficacy with antipsychotics or antiepileptics, but use of these latter agents is limited due to concerns regarding side effects. There are no effective therapies for cognitive complaints in FTD, which frequently involve executive function, memory, and language. Motor difficulties associated with FTD may present with parkinsonian symptoms or motor neuron disease, for which riluzole is indicated as therapy. Compared to idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, FTD-related atypical parkinsonism is generally not responsive to dopamine replacement therapies, but a small percentage of patients may experience improvement with a trial of carbidopa-levodopa. Physical and occupational therapy remain an important corner stone of motor symptom management in FTD. Speech therapy may also help patients manage symptoms associated with aphasia, apraxia, and dysarthria. Recent advances in the understanding of FTLD pathophysiology and genetics have led to development of potentially disease-modifying therapies as well as symptomatic therapies aimed at ameliorating social and behavioral deficits.
What are the symptoms of FTD?
These can range from disinhibition, apathy, confusion, agitation to hyper-orality, delusions, and uncommon hallucinations.
What is memantine used for?
Memantine is a NMDA receptor antagonist indicated for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Its possible role in excitotoxicity via NMDA receptor over-activation was thought to be a viable pathway to prevent cell death.
Is memantine effective in BvFTD?
Initially, a small, open-label study demonstrated no effects of meman tine in bvFTD [20], while another small case series and a phase 4 open-label memantine study suggested improvements in behavioral symptoms as measured by the NPI [21, 22]. The efficacy of memantine was tested in two rigorous randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials [Class II] [23••] [Class I] [24••]. Although neither enrolled the originally planned number of patients, both failed to demonstrate significant benefits on the NPI or clinical global impression of change. In addition, memantine treatment was associated with worse performance on a number of cognitive tests [24••].
Is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor effective in treating FTD?
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are attractive agents for use in FTD patients as they have historically been successful in treating clinical symptoms in psychiatric patients that resemble some of the problematic FTD behaviors. Moreover, there is evidence of serotonergic neuronal loss in autopsy specimens from FTD patients. Experience with a variety of SSRIs has been described in small, open-label trials or case series suggesting potential benefits of SSRI in managing behavioral symptoms of FTD.
Is there a diet for FTD?
No specific dietary recommendations exist for FTD and its related disorders. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been theorized to play a role in neurodegenerative pathogenesis, and has been specifically studied in PSP. A phase II/III randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial in PSP patients using coenzyme Q10 was recently completed, and failed to demonstrate efficacy [11].
Is exercise a life style intervention for FTD?
Although a variety of epidemiologic studies suggest routine exercise and remaining cognitively active are associated with reduced risk of dementia [10], no specific life style interventions have been studied for FTD and its related disorders.
Pharmacological treatments (Medication)
There is no disease modifying medication available for FTD. Research is ongoing and Mesulam Center is in active collaboration with ongoing studies to better understand causes of FTDs and their treatment.
Non-pharmacological treatments
With FTD, the major treatment imperative is to provide spouses and caregivers with information, emotional support, strategies for behavioral management, and access to community resources.
Care
The Neurobehavior and Memory Clinic at Northwestern Medicine is affiliated with our center and offers clinical consultations to patients, families and providers, including diagnostic evaluations, second opinions and supportive services.
Support
We offer monthly support groups for family members and care partners of people living with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA). The support groups are facilitated by Mesulam Center social work staff.
Resources
The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) offers informational content, support groups, peer support, and online support for those with PSP and other forms of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTD).
Diagnosis
Clinical Trials
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
Coping and Support
Specialist to consult
Preparing For Your Appointment
- There's no single test for frontotemporal dementia. Doctors look for signs and symptoms of the disease and try to exclude other possible causes. The disorder can be especially challenging to diagnose early because symptoms of frontotemporal dementia often overlap with those of othe…