Challenges and new opportunities in the investigation of new drug therapies to treat frontotemporal dementia.
BACKGROUND
Frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorders are a set of neurodegenerative disorders affecting the frontal and anterior temporal lobes. They are often fatal, and currently no medications have been shown to slow their progression. Recent developments in understanding these disorders may aid in developing treatments.


OBJECTIVE
To discuss the development of drug therapies for frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorders, both those under current investigation and those that could be targets for future investigation.


METHODS
This review is divided into four sections: First, a brief review of frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorders; second, a discussion of the challenges in the development of drug therapies third, a review of the current clinical trials; and finally a discussion of some recent discoveries, which have sparked new areas of investigation.


CONCLUSIONS
Hopefully, advances in understanding of frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorders and clinical trial design will aid the development of new treatments.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Cognitive Neuroscience Section, Building 10, Room 7D43, MSC 1440, Bethesda, MD 20892-1440, USA. hueye@ninds.nih.gov
Edward D
ED
Huey
Nicole
N
Armstrong
Parastoo
P
Momeni
Jordan
J
Grafman
D000818:Animals; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; C054369:MAPT protein, human; D016875:tau Proteins