Apathy and disinhibition in frontotemporal dementia: Insights into their neural correlates.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Aberrant social behavior is a defining symptom of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and may eventually occur in all syndromes composing the FTD spectrum. Two main behavioral abnormalities have been described: apathy and disinhibition, but their neuroanatomical correlates remain underspecified.

Methods

Sixty-two patients with a clinical diagnosis of FTD participated in the study. Voxel-based morphometry of MRI data was performed to explore the association between gray matter loss and severity of the two behavioral profiles as measured by the Apathy and Disinhibition subscales of the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale.

Results

Compared with a group of controls, the FTD group showed extensive bilateral atrophy predominantly involving frontal and temporal lobes. Within

SUBMITTER: Zamboni G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2676948 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature