Definition:
Frontotemporal dementia is a general umbrella medical term to a diverse group of rare disorders that primarily affects the temporal and frontal lobes of the brain. These are the areas that are generally associated with individual personality and behavior. It usually affects the younger people and are known to undergo very rapid changes in the personality and usually become socially inappropriate.
Diagnosis:
Diagnostic tests for this mental disorder include a detailed medical history of the patient, study of the symptoms, neurological exam, and brain imaging tests.
Treatment:
There's no known cure available for frontotemporal dementia as well as there is no effective method to slow down its progression. Treatment primarily helps only in managing the symptoms. Medications may include antipsychotic and tranquilizers.
Symptoms and Signs:
Symptoms include euphoria, apathy, lack of judgment, decline in personal hygiene, lack of awareness and behavioral changes as well as increasingly inappropriate actions. It can also come with movement problems such as rigidity, poor coordination, tremor, muscle spasm, and impaired balance.
Causes:
In most cases, frontotemporal dementia is caused by genetic, specifically linked to certain chromosomes. However, it is surprising to know that at least 50% of patients with dementia don't have any family history of the disease.
A genetic component is at work in some subtypes of frontotemporal dementia. Three specific chromosomes have been linked to different varieties of the disorder. But at least half the people with frontotemporal dementia have no family history of dementia.
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