Frontal assessment battery and differential diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer disease.
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.
Slachevsky
Andrea
A
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
Villalpando
Juan Manuel
JM
Sarazin
Marie
M
Hahn-Barma
Valerie
V
Pillon
Bernard
B
Dubois
Bruno
B
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