So many people’s lives have been touched by Alzheimer’s and dementia today that these terms have become household words now. Dementia is a group of thinking and social symptoms that interferes with day-to-day life. Dementia isn’t a single disease, this general term for memory loss, problem-solving and other thinking abilities is an overall term that encompasses a wide range of specific medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia. However, there are other types of dementia as well. One such type is Frontotemporal dementia that is the most common form of dementia for people below 60 years of age.
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) causes difficulties in thinking and behavior. Frontotemporal dementia, again is an overall term representing a group of uncommon brain disorders that mainly affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. The risk for developing this dementia is higher for individuals with a family history of dementia.
Symptoms:
Behavioral changes– loss of inhibition, loss of empathy, increasingly inappropriate social behavior, lack of judgment, one tends to shed his/her inhibition, lack of interest (apathy), poor hygiene, changes in eating habits, eating inedible objects, repetitive compulsive behavior like clapping.
Speech and language problems– unable to construct sentences, no longer knowing meanings of words, trouble naming things, having trouble using and understanding written and spoken language.
Movement disorders– movement-related problems may include muscle spasms, tremor, rigidity, difficulty swallowing, poor coordination, muscle weakness, and laughing or crying at the wrong times.
Types of Frontotemporal dementia:
The major differences between FTD and Alzheimer’s are
Treatment:
All of us are aware that dementia is incurable, and it holds true for FTD as well. There are no particular treatments for any of the frontotemporal subtypes. There are medications though that can reduce agitation, irritability and/or depression. Treatments are aimed at improving quality of life of individuals. Although there are no specific treatments at the moment to slow or stop the progression of frontotemporal disorders, research is ongoing, which, hopefully will open doors to better diagnosis, improved care, and, eventually, new treatments. Memory care is the most common form of senior living in Anthem, which can improve quality of life of people with dementia.