Frontotemporal Dementia Types

Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD)

Many people with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia begin to show symptoms in their 50s, and this disease accounts for the most FTD cases. People with this disorder have difficulty controlling their behavior. In the very earliest stages of the disease, a person may appear apathetic with little motivation or energy. In fact, apathy is often the first symptom reported by caregivers and can be mistaken for depression. Problems with planning and organization may become more evident, but most individuals remain capable of managing household tasks and personal care during the early stages of the disease. As the disease progresses, individuals may withdraw from social interactions and show limited interest in family, friends and hobbies. At times, they may overeat, say hurtful things, behave inappropriately with strangers, act impulsively or break laws.

 

Semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA)

People with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) have difficulty understanding the meaning of words, finding the right words when speaking, or naming people and objects. As the disease progresses, those with this disorder use more general names for specific words. For example, instead of saying “dog” they might say “animal” or “thing.” Individuals with svPPA lose the knowledge of words and in turn, have greater difficulty understanding conversations. People with svPPA can develop behavior and personality changes similar to those seen in bvFTD. The early signs of svPPA in people with more damage on the right-side of the brain include a decline in empathy or awareness of other people’s emotions. People with svPPA may also become more confused and disoriented as they recognize fewer familiar places and people.

 

Nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA)

People with nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA) have difficulty pronouncing words. Their speech may sound slurred and effortful, and their voice may change. As time goes on, people with this disorder have difficulty speaking and may speak progressively slower, often saying only the most important words to convey their meaning.

 

Frontotemporal dementia with ALS (FTD-ALS)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig’​s disease in the U.S.) is the most common motor neuron disease in adults. Motor neuron diseases are caused by the loss of nerve cells that connect the brain to the muscles. Individuals with ALS experience weakness in their muscles, and as the disease progresses they may lose the ability to move entirely. Although very rare, ALS and FTD can present in the same individual simultaneously. When this happens, patients may have both declines in strength and movement, as well as changes in behavior and language.