Clinical presentation of prodromal frontotemporal dementia.
BACKGROUND
Misrecognition of symptoms in the early stages of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) frequently contributes to diagnostic delay. Three frameworks have been proposed for the clinical identification of prodromal FTD: (1) cognitive profiling, (2) the presence of behavioral/psychiatric symptoms in the absence of memory complaints, and (3) a combined approach of cognitive, behavioral, and neuroimaging features.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate current conceptual frameworks for the clinical recognition of prodromal FTD with current empirical evidence.


METHODS
We performed a comprehensive PsychINFO and MEDLINE database search to identify articles investigating the prodromal symptoms of FTD.


CONCLUSIONS
The 3 frameworks capture important aspects of the clinical picture of prodromal FTD but require further refinement. The prodromal stage of FTD is characterized by both cognitive and behavioral features. Diagnostic accuracy will likely be improved by considering a combination of cognitive and behavioral features, because some features overlap with prodromes for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.
Hallam
Bradley J
BJ
Division of Neurology, Geriatric Psychiatry Outreach Team, Vancouver Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia. brad.hallam@vch.ca
Silverberg
Noah D
ND
Lamarre
Amanda K
AK
Mackenzie
Ian R A
IR
Feldman
Howard H
HH
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests