What Are the Different Types of FTD?

FTD is otherwise known as frontotemporal dementia, once referred to as Pick's disease. This disease is a non-Alzheimer's dementia that involves irreversible progressive deterioration of brain cells. FTD primarily affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, involving personality and behavior. There are three types of FTD, including behavioral variant, semantic variant and progressive non-fluent aphasia. Each variant affects different areas of the brain, causing different symptoms.

Behavioral or Frontal Variant

• This variant of FTD primarily affects emotions, personality and social skills. People tend to become stubborn, emotionally distant and less empathetic. They also find it difficult to control their behavior in social situations. They are typically not aware of changes to their behavior and tend to lack concern. Behavioral symptoms often include such things as overeating, restriction to certain foods, repetitive behaviors such as watching movies over and over, failing to look after personal hygiene, hyperactive and hypersexual behaviors and impulsiveness. Mood changes can be abrupt and frequent. According to the University of California, San Francisco website, approximately 60 percent of those with FTD have the behavioral variant.

Semantic or Temporal Variant

• The left temporal lobe is more commonly affected in those with the semantic variant of FTD. People have language difficulty and problems recalling words and their meaning. This starts with only a couple of words, but then progresses to many common words. People also may have problems recognizing faces and familiar objects. Those whose right temporal lobe is first affected have more difficulty remembering faces of friends and familiar people. Eventually, these individuals will experience language difficulty. One specific symptom is the loss of empathy for others' emotions.

Progressive Non-Fluent Aphasia

• Unlike those with the semantic variant of FTD, these individuals still understand the meanings of words for much of the span of the disease, but they have difficulty speaking fluently. This often begins with difficulty speaking a few words and progresses until the person is completely mute. There is usually no change in behavior until later in the disease. Speech typically sounds uncoordinated. While reading and writing will not be affected right away, these abilities tend to decline. Individuals with the progressive non-fluent aphasia variant of FTD may have difficulty with swallowing due to weak muscles around the throat, difficulty moving eyes side to side and muscle rigidity in arms and legs. According to the University of California, San Francisco website, about 20 percent of those with FTD have the progressive aphasia variant.

Considerations

• FTD or frontotemporal dementia resembles Alzheimer's disease as there is a progressive deterioration of brain cells in both conditions. Onset of FTD typically occurs earlier than for Alzheimer's. While there is not one test that is effective in diagnosing any variant of FTD, doctors try to identify specific characteristics of the disease and sometimes use MRI to help make a diagnosis. There are no known causes of FTD. Additionally, there are no known cures or ways to slow progression of the disease. Treatment is based on managing symptoms.