Combined semantic dementia and apraxia in a patient with frontotemporal lobar degeneration

In this study we report neuropsychological and brain-imaging findings in a patient with frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Brain imaging using registr ation of (18)fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET data to three-dimensional (3-D) m agnetic resonance imaging showed atrophy and highly significant hypometabol ism of the left temporal lobe and both frontal lobes. Volumetric measuremen ts of the hippocampi/amygdala showed a reduction in volume of 25% on the le ft compared to right within cortical areas. Neuropsychological testing reve aled semantic dementia with severe anemia as well as apraxia with impairmen t of both recognition and production of motor acts. The implications of thi s case of early manifestation of frontotemporal lobar degeneration for our knowledge of dementia are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.