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Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) vs Lewy Body Dementia: What Is The Difference?

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) are two common types of dementia that cause both cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms, with devastating effect on the patients and their families. However, even though both FTD and LBD are a 'dementia', they are in fact very different diseases. They affect different areas of the brain, cause different symptoms, and have different pathologies. This article will aim to compare the differences and similarities between these two progressive neurodegenerative diseases.

Klara Hatinova

Author - Klara Hatinova

Klara is a postgraduate researcher in experimental psychology at the University of Oxford.

Klara used MediSearch to find sources for this blog.
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The Key Difference Between FTD and LBD

Lewy Body Dementia is characterized by the accumulation of Lewy bodies and alpha-synuclein in multiple brain regions.

FTD is marked by the degeneration of the frontal and temporal cortices.

Symptoms: Frontotemporal Dementia vs Lewy Body Dementia

To understand the differences between FTD and LBD, let us begin by looking at the symptoms that these diseases cause. As we mentioned previously, LBD causes a range of cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms, while FTD, especially in the early stages, causes symptoms related to behaviour and language.

Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Symptoms: LBD

LBD starts with a range of symptoms that onset slowly and worsen over time, causing detriment to daily activities. The most common symptom of LBD is dementia - an umbrella term refering to a loss of cognitive function. A common symptom of dementia is memory loss, the most frequent initial symptom reported in 53.9% of patients [1], but other symptoms are present.

Reductions in concentration, attention, alertness, and wakefulness are also common in LBD, although this varies from patient to patient. Seeing things that are not there, known as visual hallucinations, is another symptom of LBD, which can be very troubling for individuals.

Problems with movement and posture, including slow movement, difficulty walking, and muscle stiffness, are common motor symptoms in LBD. They are collectively referred to as Parkinsonian motor symptoms.

An interesting symptom is the REM sleep behaviour disorder, a condition in which a person seems to act out of their dreams. It seems that this disorder could be an early biomarker of LBD in certain patients, as there is a close association between REM sleep disorder and consequent LBD. Changes in behaviour and mood, such as depression, anxiety, and apathy (reduced interest in regular daily activities), are also common non-cognitive in LBD [2].

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