What is the relationship between FTD and ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two diseases that form a broad neurodegenerative continuum. Considerable effort has been made to unravel the genetics of these disorders, and, based on this work, it is now clear that ALS and FTD have a significant genetic overlap.
Does ALS affect the frontal lobe?
This verbal fluency test taps into executive cognitive functions of the frontal lobe that is commonly impacted in ALS, and this test appears to be sensitive in identifying ALS patients with even subtle cognitive abnormalities[13].
What percent of ALS patients have FTD?
Clinical overlap with FTD can be assessed by subclinical frontal dysfunctions or language impairment and now it is considered that up to 40-50% of ALS patients present FTD dysfunctions [74, 75].
Is brain MRI normal in ALS?
CONVENTIONAL MRI Once diseases mimicking ALS are ruled out, subtle neuroimaging signs that are supportive of ALS are looked into. Several studies have reported abnormal findings on T1-weighted, T2-weighted, proton-density, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images in patients with ALS [28, 29].
Is FTD and ALS the same?
The simplest difference in the symptoms ALS and FTD is that the former affects the movement of the body while the latter affects cognitive function. Like ALS, FTD does not have one cause – one third of cases are known to be related to a genetic mutation, and the causes of others are unknown.
What are the symptoms of FTD?
What are the symptoms of frontotemporal dementia?
- Behavior and/or dramatic personality changes, such as swearing, stealing, increased interest in sex, or a deterioration in personal hygiene habits.
- Socially inappropriate, impulsive, or repetitive behaviors.
- Impaired judgment.
- Apathy.
- Lack of empathy.
- Decreased self awareness.
What lobe is most affected in ALS?
Several studies have explored the link between structural changes in the frontal lobe and cognition in patients with ALS. A VBM study found frontal lobar atrophy in ALS patients, with the greatest effect in patients with ALS–frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
What does EMG show in ALS?
In the diagnosis of ALS, the neurologist uses the EMG to help determine whether there is evidence of active and chronic damage to the nerves that control the muscles that were tested and whether there is evidence of damage involving different regions of the body, which suggests a progressive nerve disorder.
Can you have ALS with a normal EMG?
A common abnormal result in ALS patients is spontaneous electrical activity when the muscle is at rest. A normal EMG result will often result in a diagnosis of primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), but does not rule out the possibility of ALS developing later.
Is dementia a part of ALS?
Because dementia is not a common feature associated with ALS, and can have many causes, it is important to see your health care provider if you develop any changes in personality, behavior, language comprehension, or memory.