Frontotemporal dementia is a progressive dementing illness characterized
clinically by personality change, disinhibition, and apathy.
Neuropathologically, neuronal cell loss, astrogliosis, and microvacuolation
are present in the superficial frontotemporal cortical layers, with
variable involvement of subcortical and limbic structures. The clinical
picture and anatomical distribution of the degenerative changes, as well as
motor neuron involvement, differentiate four neuropathological groups: 1)
frontal lobe type, 2) thalamostriatal type, 3) motor neuron type, and 4)
asymmetrical type. The authors review the results of four large postmortem
studies with a special emphasis on cliniconeuropathological
correlation.Abstract Teaser