title: Frontal assessment battery and differential diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The different distribution of pathologic features in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer disease (AD) predicts a predominant dysexecutive syndrome in FTD. The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) has previously been validated in diseases associated with a frontal lobe dysfunction.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the sensitivity of the FAB to differentiate FTD and AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparison study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Memory Clinic of the Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six patients with FTD and 64 patients with AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparison of FAB and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores between patients with FTD and those with AD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean +/- SD FAB scores significantly differed between patients with FTD (7.6 +/- 4.2) and those with AD (12.6 +/- 3.7) (P<.001), but not MMSE scores. The FAB correctly identified 78.9% of the patients. These results were maintained in a subgroup of mildly demented patients (MMSE score, > or =24). In these patients, a cutoff score of 12 on the FAB was optimal to differentiate both disorders (sensitivity, 77%; specificity, 87%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FAB takes less than 10 minutes to administer and provides an objective measure to distinguish FTD from AD in mildly demented patients.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Récherche Médicale E 007 and Fédération de Neurologie, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France. aslachevsky@adsl.tie.cl
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slachevsky
authors.forename: Juan Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Villalpando
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarazin
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hahn-Barma
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pillon
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dubois
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged