Compulsive Behaviors and Presenting Symptoms of Frontotemporal Dementia.
- Author:
Soo Jin YOON
1
;
Jee Hyang JEONG
;
Sue Jin KANG
;
Duk L NA
Author Information
1. Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Frontotemporal dementia;
Compulsive behavior;
Presenting symptoms
- MeSH:
Alzheimer Disease;
Apathy;
Compulsive Behavior*;
Diagnostic Errors;
Female;
Frontotemporal Dementia*;
Humans;
Male;
Memory;
Obsessive Hoarding;
Retrospective Studies;
Singing
- From:Journal of the Korean Neurological Association
2000;18(6):681-686
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: It is not uncommon to misdiagnose frontotemporal dementia (FTD) because it presents with alterations in personality and behavior rather than cognitive decline. Since compulsive behavior is one of the common early manifestations of FTD, analysis of compulsive behaviors, together with presenting symptoms, would help diagnose FTD in its early stage. METHODS: Subjects consisted of 25 patients (5 men and 20 women with mean age of 56 +/-9 years) who met the FTD criteria proposed by the Lund and Manchester group. We analyzed their presenting symptoms and compulsive behaviors retrospectively. RESULTS: The presenting symptoms were variable, including inappropriate judgement, loss of spontaneity, memory disturbance, personality change, apathy, repetitive movements, hypersexuality, and parsimony. Twenty-two out of the 25 patients (88%) showed compulsive behaviors. They included reading signboards, stereotypy of speech, ordering, hoarding, washing, checking, counting, singing, and wandering a fixed route. CONCLUSIONS: Compulsive behaviors are commonly associated with FTD and thereby understanding of these symptoms together with presenting symptoms may help diagnose FTD early and minimize the misdiagnosis of FTD for Alzheimer's disease or other psychiatric illnesses.
