What is a common symptom of frontotemporal dementia?

Marked personality changes are a hallmark symptom of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which distinguishes it from other forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. In FTD, the degeneration primarily affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, areas that are heavily involved in behavior, personality, and emotional regulation.

Patients with frontotemporal dementia often exhibit dramatic shifts in personality, including impulsivity, inappropriate social behavior, lack of empathy, or changes in interests and hobbies. These changes can be profound and may significantly impact interpersonal relationships and social functioning, often preceding memory issues. While other forms of dementia may involve memory loss or cognitive decline as initial symptoms, in FTD, the personality alterations often come first.

Memory loss, while it can be present later in the disease, is not as prominent in the early stages of frontotemporal dementia compared to the marked changes in behavior and personality. Visual hallucinations are more often associated with conditions like Lewy body dementia, and delirium typically indicates a more acute and fluctuating state of confusion, rather than a progressive neurodegenerative condition like FTD.