Frontal Lobe Dementia Defined

Frontal lobe dementia typically affects patients at a very early age, and usually affects females more than males. In this type of dementia, there is no true memory loss in the early stages. Instead, there are changes in personality, ability to concentrate, social skills, motivation and reasoning. Because of their true nature, these symptoms are often confused with psychiatric disorders. There are gradual changes in one’s customary way of behaving and responding emotionally to others. Memory, language and visual perception are usually not impaired for the first two years, yet as the disease progresses and spreads to other areas of the brain, they too may become affected.

Frontal lobe dementia affects the part of the brain that regulated comportment, insight and reasoning. “Comportment” is a term that refers to social behavior, insight, and “appropriateness” in different social contexts. Normal comportment involves having insight and the ability to recognize what behavior is appropriate in a particular social situation and to adapt one’s behavior to the situation.

Symptoms of Frontotemporal Dementia
By Northwestern University, Feinburg School of Medicine

Impairments in social skills

- inappropriate or bizarre social behavior (e.g., eating with one's fingers in public, doing sit-ups in a public restroom, being overly familiar with strangers)

- "loosening" of normal social restraints (e.g., using obscene language or making inappropriate sexual remarks)

Change in activity level

- apathy, withdrawal, loss of interest, lack of motivation, and initiative which may appear to be depression but the patient does not experience sad feelings.

- in some instances there is an increase in purposeless activity (e.g., pacing, constant cleaning) or agitation.

Decreased Judgment

- impairments in financial decision- making (e.g., impulsive spending)

- difficulty recognizing consequences of behavior

- lack of appreciation for threats to safety (e.g., inviting strangers into home)

Changes in personal habits

- lack of concern over personal appearance

- irresponsibility

- compulsiveness (need to carry out repeated actions that are inappropriate or not relevant to the situation at hand.

Alterations in personality and mood

- increased irritability, decreased ability to tolerate frustration

Changes is one's customary emotional responsiveness

- a lack of sympathy or compassion in someone who was typically responsive to others' distress

- heightened emotionality in someone who was typically less emotionally responsive

Persons with this form of dementia may look like they have problems in almost all areas of mental function. This is because all mental activity requires attention, concentration and the ability to organize information, all of which are impaired in frontal lobe dementia. Careful testing, however, usually shows that most of the problems stem from a lack of persistence and increased inertia.