The heterogeneity of frontotemporal dementia with regard to initial symptoms, qEEG and neuropathology.

OBJECTIVES/METHODS: Ten patients with neuropathologically verified frontotemporal dementia (FTD) were analysed for neuropathological features in relation to first presenting and dominating symptoms, age at onset and duration of dementia, as well as to EEG/quantitative EEG.

RESULTS

Cases with a late onset (> 65 years) initially presented language disturbances, while the early onset group (< 65 years) showed predominantly behavioural symptoms and mood alterations as early features. The late onset group presented combined cortical-subcortical degeneration including white matter pathology, while early onset cases showed pathology predominantly in the cortex. EEG was normal in the late onset group, while it was mildly and variably abnormal in those with early onset.

CONCLUSIONS

Within this small sample of clinical and neuropathological FTD, cases with late vs early onset differed with respect to initial symptoms, EEG findings and regional distribution of brain pathology.