Dementia causes the patient to be unable to recognize even the person closest to them and to have difficulty in meeting their basic needs over time. Although it is known that the main symptom of dementia is forgetfulness, small changes in eating habits can be an early warning sign of dementia.
THE SYMPTOMS OF THE TWO TYPES OF DEMENTIA DIFFER
Dementia UK pointed out that the parts of the brain affected by frontotemporal dementia are responsible for personality, behavior and speech. There seems to be a genetic link in up to a third of people diagnosed with the condition. There are two types of frontotemporal dementia that most commonly affect people aged 40 to 60 years.
ATTENTION IF YOU CAN’T STOP YOUR craving for sweets
There is frontotemporal dementia behavioral variant (bvFTD) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA). The behavior variant can lead to:
- reduced motivation
- Lack of interest in things one used to enjoy
- Inappropriate behavior, such as making obscene comments, staring, being too familiar with people
- reduced empathy
- Difficulty focusing on tasks
- obsessive or repetitive behaviors, such as repetitive expressions or movements, hoarding
- Behavioral changes related to food or drink. For example, fondness for sweet foods, bad table manners, overeating, drinking too much alcohol
- Difficulty planning, organizing and making decisions
- Not being aware of changes in themselves (lack of insight).
SPEAKING CHANGES ARE WARNING
Frontotemporal dementia, the primary type of progressive aphasia, differs from the behavioral variant as it tends to affect language rather than behavior. PPS symptoms can include:
- Difficulty remembering, finding or understanding words
- Gradual loss of vocabulary
- Forgetting common objects such as a kettle, toaster, keys and what they are for
- Difficulty using speech, including forming sentences and using grammar correctly
- Difficulty conducting conversations – such as hesitation, using abbreviated sentences, or using the wrong words
- Difficulty finding words
- Stopping speaking in the middle of a sentence while searching for the right word.
Early symptoms of frontotemporal dementia can be mistaken for depression or stress. It can be difficult to diagnose, especially if symptoms are mild.
SURVIVAL TIME VARY FROM PERSON TO PERSON
The NHS adds that there may be “physical problems such as slow or hard movements, loss of bladder or bowel control, muscle weakness or difficulty swallowing”. There is no single test to diagnose frontotemporal dementia. An evaluation may include discussing symptoms, performing mental tasks, blood tests, brain scans, and a lumbar puncture. “How quickly frontotemporal dementia worsens varies from person to person and is very difficult to predict,” the NHS adds. “The average survival time after symptoms start is about eight to 10 years.”