Conditions & Symptoms of Pick's Disease

Pick's disease is also known as Frontotemporal Dementia. It is the shrinking of the frontal and temporal anterior lobes of the brain. Pick's disease is hereditary and often runs in families.

Causes

• Pick's disease is caused by the building up of protein in affected areas of the brain.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Pick's disease include changes in behavior, lack of social tact, changes in eating habits and lack of energy. Other symptoms of the disease are distractibility, increased interest in sex and lack of empathy.

Diagnosis

• Diagnosis of Pick's disease is made using neuropsychologic assessments to eliminate other forms of dementia. The only way to make a definitive diagnosis is by brain biopsy.

Treatment

• There is no true treatment for Pick's disease. Doctors generally treat the symptoms with antidepressants and other drugs. Experimental treatments are being developed but are not widely used.

Prognosis

• As with most cases of dementia, the patient can be helped to deal with the symptoms of Pick's disease but it can eventually lead to complete dementia that requires 24-hour care.