Frontotemporal Dementia

Symptoms

Symptoms include personality and behavioral changes, forgetfulness, disorientation, and confusion.

Unlike Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, personality and behavior problems occur early on for patients with frontotemporal dementia, with memory problems occurring in later stages of the disease. Frontotemporal dementia usually begins between the ages of 40 and 64.

Signs and symptoms may include:

• Uninhibited and socially inappropriate behavior
• Inappropriate sexual behavior
• Loss of concern about personal appearance and hygiene
• Compulsive eating and oral fixation
• Apathy, loss of initiative, lack of concern for others
• Speech and language difficulties
• Memory loss

Rarely, patients with frontotemporal dementia can also develop parkinsonism and/or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease).