Know warning signs of early onset Alzheimer’s

In June, I shared a column on the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s/dementia. This month is a followup to discuss a specific diagnosis of dementia that often occurs earlier and progresses much quicker — frontotemporal dementia, also known as FTD.

The nerve damage caused by FTD leads to loss of brain function that can affect personality, behaviors and language. Since FTD can have an onset of symptoms in one’s 40s, dementia is often missed as a possible diagnosis for a younger person presenting with changes in mood or behavior.

Early symptoms of FTD may overlap with conditions such as depression, Parkinson’s disease or bipolar disorder and lead to an incorrect diagnosis, according to the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration.

Some of the signs and symptoms of FTD include:

⏩ Increasingly inappropriate actions and lack of judgment, including criminal behavior

⏩ Change in mood, including anxiety or depression

⏩ Loss of empathy and other interpersonal skills Apathy ⏩ Repetitive compulsive ⏩ behavior

Decline in personal ⏩ hygiene

Change in eating habits; ⏩ more apt to overeat

Impaired speech and ⏩ motor ability

In September, 60 Minutes ran a segment on this devastating disease, which affects about 50,000 to 60,000 adults and their families in the prime of adulthood.

There are no known risk factors for FTD other than having a family history of dementia (which is less than 50 percent), according to the Mayo Clinic . The only way to determine if a person has FTD is through appropriate neurological exams and testing by a physician experienced with this disorder.

A referral from a primary care physician is one option to find resources for a diagnosis. Like Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, there is no cure for FTD.

For information, call The Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration at 8665077222.

Hearst Connecticut Media file photo A neurologist works with a patient at the University of California, San Francisco, Memory & Aging Center.