Can FTD be misdiagnosed?

People with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are often misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD), psychiatric disorders, vascular dementia or Parkinson's disease. The early symptoms and the brain image are often the most helpful tools to reach the right diagnosis.

How often is FTD misdiagnosed?

The FTD group had the highest rate of misdiagnosis, with AD (30%), and psychiatric disorder (40%): depression (20%) and mania (20%), as main diagnostic categories. Similarly, in a previous Brazilian study, the most frequent misdiagnosis among FTD patients was psychiatric disorder followed by AD (Bahia, 2007).

What can mimic frontotemporal dementia?

Psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, manic-depression, and major depression, can mimic frontotemporal dementia, but there is often a longstanding history of psychiatric disease and differences in specific patterns of abnormal social behaviors.

What disorder is most often misdiagnosed as dementia?

Lewy body dementia (LBD) is the most misdiagnosed form of dementia, taking on average more than 18 months and three doctors to receive a correct diagnosis.

Does frontotemporal dementia show on MRI?

Atrophy or shrinkage of specific regions of the brain that might be suggestive of FTD can be identified by MRI.

Why a form of dementia that changes people's personalities is “very commonly misdiagnosed”

How do I know if I have frontotemporal dementia?

The most common signs of frontotemporal dementia involve extreme changes in behavior and personality. These include: Increasingly inappropriate social behavior. Loss of empathy and other interpersonal skills, such as having sensitivity to another's feelings.

How quickly does frontal lobe dementia progress?

The length of FTD varies, with some patients declining rapidly over two to three years, and others showing only minimal changes over a decade. Studies have shown persons with FTD to live with the disease an average of eight years, with a range from three years to 17 years.

What 3 illness can have similar symptoms to dementia but is not?

Can you be wrongly diagnosed with dementia?

Although the Alzheimer's Association estimates that the number of Americans living with the disease could rise from 5 million to 16 million by 2050, researchers who studied nearly 1,000 people listed in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center database found that 1 in 5 Alzheimer's cases may be misdiagnosed.

How accurate is the clock test for dementia?

Previous studies of objective clock drawing test rating systems identified Alzheimer's disease with overall diagnostic accuracy ranging from 59% to 85%. However, such diagnostic accuracy has not been found in mild cognitive impairment cohorts with sensitivities ranging from 17% to 92%.

What are 5 extreme behavior changes found with FTD?

Social withdrawal, apathy and limited interest in family, friends and hobbies may become evident. At times, they may behave inappropriately with strangers, lose their social manners, act impulsively and even break laws. People experiencing these changes may become self-centered, emotionally distant and withdrawn.

Why is dementia misdiagnosed?

The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is made based on symptoms. No blood test or imaging test is currently available to diagnose the disease with 100 percent accuracy, which is why misdiagnoses occur. In addition, Alzheimer's is a much more complex disease than once thought, making a correct diagnosis even harder.

Is frontal lobe dementia the same as frontotemporal dementia?

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is one of the less common types of dementia. It is sometimes called Pick's disease or frontal lobe dementia. The first noticeable FTD symptoms are changes to personality and behaviour and/or difficulties with language.

Can FTD progress slowly?

Symptoms of FTD start gradually and progress steadily, and in some cases, rapidly. They vary from person to person, depending on the areas of the brain involved.

What mimics vascular dementia?

Heart or lung conditions

When vascular (blood vessel) or lung disease interferes with the delivery of blood or oxygen to the brain, they can cause vascular dementia.

Is frontotemporal dementia the same as vascular dementia?

These differences were not explained by group differences in age and education. Conclusion: These results suggest that cognitive differences between FTD and VaD groups reflect greater frontal pathology in contrast to relative sparing of posterior cortex and subcortical white matter in FTD.

Are there other diseases that mimic dementia?

Many other conditions, in addition to the ones above, can cause symptoms that mimic dementia or Alzheimer's disease, including disorders of the heart, lungs, liver or kidneys, thyroid problems, sodium or vitamin B12 deficiency, some cancers, pain, constipation, heavy alcohol use and depression.

What is Behavioural variant FTD?

Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by early progressive changes in behavior, social conduct, emotional processing as well as specific cognitive impairments (1, 2).

How many people are misdiagnosed with dementia?

As the hospital's clinical lead for dementia services, Dr Mummery “quite regularly” sees people who have been misdiagnosed with dementia. Alzheimer's, she explains, is only one form of brain disease causing dementia and globally there is misdiagnosis of between 20 and 30 per cent of dementia cases.

What does the clock drawing test show?

The clock-drawing test is used for screening for cognitive impairment and dementia and as a measure of spatial dysfunction and neglect. It was originally used to assess visuo-constructive abilities but we know that abnormal clock drawing occurs in other cognitive impairments.

Can a CT scan detect dementia?

Alternatives to a Head CT Scan

Head CT scans may be the most effective way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. But if you prefer another method, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head shows your doctor if you have mild cognitive impairment or brain shrinkage.

How does a neurologist diagnose dementia?

The following procedures also may be used to diagnose dementia: Cognitive and neurological tests. These tests are used to assess thinking and physical functioning. These include assessments of memory, problem solving, language skills, and math skills, as well as balance, sensory response, and reflexes.

How do you slow down frontotemporal dementia?

Frontotemporal dementia is a neurodegenerative condition that tends to strike people between the ages of 45 and 65. Researchers say lifestyle changes can reduce a younger adult's risk of getting this disease. Experts recommend moderate physical exercise, mental games such as puzzles, and quality sleep.

How long can a person live with frontal lobe dementia?

People with FTD typically live six to eight years with their condition, sometimes longer, sometimes less. Most people die of problems related to advanced disease.

Does FTD affect eyesight?

Using an inexpensive, non-invasive, eye-imaging technique, the Penn Medicine scientists found that patients with FTD showed thinning of the outer retina—the layers with the photoreceptors through which we see—compared to control subjects.