Dementia of the frontal lobe type: report of the neuroimaging and neuropsychological results of a case study.
We report the behavioural abnormalities, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological results of a 62-year-old patient, i.p., who shows a clinical profile that fulfils all characteristics of dementia of frontal lobe type. The patient has been followed up over 5 years with psychometric testing. Comparing her cognitive profiles across examinations, her performance was substantially unchanged apart from behavioural disturbances and performance on frontal tasks which showed a progressive worsening. MRI finding evidenced marked ventricular enlargement, prevalent frontal atrophy and hypertrophy of the genus of corpus callosum. SPECT investigation showed a considerable reduction of cerebral blood flow in the mesial parts of the frontal lobes, in the lateral surface of the right fronto-parietal lobe, and hypo-perfusion in the right thalamic area. The results are discussed with reference to the features (clinical and neuropsychological) which distinguish different profiles of dementia.
Venneri
A
A
Department of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK.
Grassi
F
F
Caffarra
P
P
D001519:Behavior; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon