Frontotemporal lobar degeneration: A study in Japan

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration is the most common form of cortical demen tia occurring in the presenium after Alzheimer's disease. We analyzed two t ypes of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and semantic dementia (SD) selected f rom a consecutive series of outpatients based on neuropsychological symptom s, psychiatric symptoms and abnormal behavior. In our series of 134 patient s with primary degenerative dementia, there were 16 cases of FTD and 6 case s of SD. Patients with subgroups of FTD and patients with SID were distingu ishable only by the presence of aphasia in the latter group. They were not distinguishable from one another by other neuropsychological examinations, behavioral abnormalities or psychiatric symptoms assessed with the Neuropsy chiatric Inventory. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.