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Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease:
Similarities and Differences

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Features		Frontotemporal Dementia		Alzheimer's Disease

Age at which disease generally occurs		usually after age 40 and before age 65		usually after age 65

Brain areas affected		frontal and temporal lobes		starts in the medial temporal area, usually in the hippocampus spreads laterally and to other areas of brain

Pathologic features		loss of nerve cells no amyloid plaques tau tangles seen in certain FTDs		loss of nerve cells amyloid plaques tau tangles

Clinical features		begins with personality and behavior changes some may be hyperactive while others seem apathetic loss of empathy toward others lack of insight into proper social conduct memory is preserved early on language difficulty compulsive eating and oral fixations repetitive actions later in the disease, loss of motor skills, speech and muscle movement		begins with memory loss patients lose ability to learn new information patients become unable to orient themselves to time and place later, personality and behavior conduct problems develop possible hallucinations and delusions

Frontotemporal Dementias

Disease	Clinical Characteristics
Pick's Disease	personality and behavioral changes: disinhibition, inappropriate social behaviors, loss of mental flexibility and empathy; development of obsessive-compulsive behaviors, compulsive overeating, food cravings, putting any object in mouth language problems: use of wrong words, echoing what others say, mutism can develop difficulties in thinking, concentrating, paying attention; gradual emotional apathy, loss of moral judgment; generalized dementia
FTDP-17	behavioral changes: loss of initiative, disinhibition, obsessive-compulsive behavior, restlessness, verbal aggressiveness psychiatric symptoms: delusions, visual or auditory hallucinations cognitive decline: word finding difficulties, other language difficulties though comprehension remains preserved; executive functions, attention, and abstract reasoning become impaired; mutism eventually develops
Supranuclear Palsy	motor difficulties: problems with balance and gait; problems controlling eye movement, involuntary closing of the eyes, inability to maintain eye contact with others; difficulties with swallowing personality/behavioral changes: apathy, increased irritability, angry outbursts, depression, progressive dementia
Corticobasal Degeneration	signs of parkinsonism: poor coordination, rigidity, impaired balance cognitive and visual-spatial impairments, loss of ability to make familiar and purposeful movements hesitant and halting speech sudden contractions of muscles or muscle groups difficulty swallowing

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