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Frontal Lobe dementia - Frontal Lobe dementia Symptom, Cause, Treatment
Frontal lobe dementia is a set of degenerative diseases producing many of the same symptoms as vascular dementia. Frontal lobe dementia is the name given to any dementia caused by damage to this part of the brain. It includes Pick's disease but can also be caused by other diseases. They all have similar symptoms and prognoses. Sometimes the only way to distinguish them is by a brain image. Fronto-temporal dementias are a relatively rare cause of dementia and typically develop at an earlier age than Alzheimer's disease, usually in a person in their forties or fifties. The frontal lobe of the brain is particularly affected in early stages. A progressive dementia occurring in middle life characterised by slowly developing changes in character and social behaviour, or impairment of language, due to degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.
Symptoms of Frontal Lobe dementia
Frontal lobe dementias are characterized by early psychiatric symptoms followed later by cognitive impairments. Symptoms are includes
- Impairments in social skills
- inappropriate or bizarre social behavior (e.g., eating with one's fingers in public, doing sit-ups in a public restroom, being overly familiar with strangers)
- "loosening" of normal social restraints (e.g., using obscene language or making inappropriate sexual remarks)
- Change in activity level
- apathy, withdrawal, loss of interest, lack of motivation, and initiative which may appear to be depression but the patient does not experience sad feelings.
- in some instances there is an increase in purposeless activity (e.g., pacing, constant cleaning) or agitation.
- Decreased Judgment
- impairments in financial decision- making (e.g., impulsive spending)
- difficulty recognizing consequences of behavior
- lack of appreciation for threats to safety (e.g., inviting strangers into home)
- Changes in personal habits
- lack of concern over personal appearance
- irresponsibility
- compulsiveness (need to carry out repeated actions that are inappropriate or not relevant to the situation at hand.
- Alterations in personality and mood
- increased irritability, decreased ability to tolerate frustration
- Changes is one's customary emotional responsiveness
- a lack of sympathy or compassion in someone who was typically responsive to others' distress
- heightened emotionality in someone who was typically less emotionally responsive
Causes of Frontal Lobe dementia
Loss of language and ability to perform complex tasks are other characteristic features of frontal lobe dementia. It is important to distinguish between frontal lobe dementia and vascular dementia because the treatments are quite different. Frontal lobe dementia is the name given to any dementia caused by damage to this part of the brain. It includes Pick's disease but can also be caused by other diseases. Frontal lobe dementia is caused in a similar way to Alzheimer's disease in that it involves a progressive decline in a person's mental abilities over a number of years. Damage to brain cells is more localised than in Alzheimer's disease and usually begins in the frontal lobe part of the brain.
Treatment of Frontal Lobe dementia
The length of FTD varies, with some patients declining rapidly over two to three years and others showing only minimal changes over a decade. The treatment are follows
- Obtain a psychiatric evaluation from an individual with experience treating people with dementia. Certain medications can help with behavior problems such as agitation and hostility.
- Share information with family and friends. This will help them better understand the patient's behavior and provide an opportunity for them to offer the diagnosed persona and their family some support and respite.
- Encourage the person to attend an early stage support group. Even if the support group is geared toward the person with early Alzheimer's disease, much information will also be relevant to Frontal Lobe Dementia.
- Meet with an attorney or financial consultant. Make sure Durable Power of Attorney forms have been completed for both health care and finances. Give copies to your doctor. An "elderlaw" attorney who is well-versed in these issues is still an appropriate choice to help you draft these documents or you may obtain the forms at many stationary stores and complete them on your own.
- Attend a caregiver support group. Listening to others who are going through similar experiences can be very comforting. They may also aid you in developing new caregiver techniques and learn about different resources within your community.
- Try to remain physically and mentally healthy. Be sure to get regular health check-ups for both the diagnosed person and family. Exercise and eat nutritious meals. Build in time for things that allow you to rejuvenate.
- Obtain a driving evaluation: Contact your local Alzheimer's Association for the driving evaluation program near you.
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