Frontotemporal dementia can be misdiagnosed as the early symptoms of frontotemporal dementia can be similar to other conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, psychiatric disorders, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder and vascular dementia and Parkinson's disease.
The main cause of frontotemporal dementia is the buildup of abnormal proteins in your brain cells.
Abnormal amounts of forms of tau and TDP-43 proteins build up in your nerve cells and damage them and cause them to die.
Changes in genes such as mutations in the tau, GRN and C9ORF72 genes can also cause frontotemporal dementia.
Frontotemporal dementia is one of the less common types of dementia and is also called Pick's disease or frontal lobe dementia.
The early signs of frontotemporal dementia include personality changes such as apathy, depression, loss of interest in activities that the person used to enjoy, acting impulsively or inappropriately or a lack of social contact and language problems such as struggling to find the right words, using words incorrectly and speaking slowly.
Other early signs of frontotemporal dementia are getting distracted easily or having trouble planning and organizing as well as compulsive behaviors such as shaving, collecting or counting or repeating gestures or phrases.
Frontotemporal dementia is also known as frontal lobe dementia.
Frontal lobe dementia is a rare and progressive brain condition which damages the frontal lobes and the temporal lobes of your brain.
Frontal lobe dementia is the result of damage to the neurons in the temporal and frontal lobes of your brain.
A lot of different symptoms can result from frontal lobe dementia.
Some of the symptoms that can occur with frontal lobe dementia are trouble with communicating, difficulty with work, difficulty with walking, emotional problems and unusual behaviors.
Other symptoms of frontal lobe dementia include acting impulsively or inappropriately or appearing unsympathetic.
Speaking slowly, using words incorrectly or getting words in the wrong order are also symptoms of frontal lobe dementia.
Frontal lobe dementia gradually affects more and more areas of the brain and disrupts the abilities that those areas control.
The average life expectancy of someone after diagnoses with frontal lobe dementia is 7.5 years.
Frontal lobe dementia encompasses several types of dementia and involves the progressive degeneration of the brain's temporal lobes and frontal lobes.
Both men and women are equally affected from frontal lobe dementia.
Dementia is the name for problems with mental abilities caused by gradual changes and damage in the brain.
Frontotemporal dementia affects the front and sides of the brain (the frontal and temporal lobes).
The final and most advanced stage of frontal lobe dementia is stage 7.
At stage 7 frontal lobe dementia, living alone is almost impossible and people with stage 7 frontal lobe dementia experience severe cognitive impairment and decline.
And because there is no cure for frontotemporal dementia, the only treatments are to ease symptoms.
A person with frontal lobe dementia will continue to decline in a range of ways.