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Scientific Commentary |
Semantic dementia: linking loss of brain and brawn
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The term frontotemporal dementia (FTD) refers to a closely related group of conditions characterized by slowly progressive selective deficits of behavioural, verbal, and/or motor functions, sparing other higher neural activities. The two best characterized syndromes are (i) behavioural disturbances that correspond to the pattern recognized by clinicians as frontal dementia, and (ii) a non-fluent progressive aphasia. Pathological examination shows neuronal death restricted to specific areas, leading to severe atrophy mostly restricted to frontal and temporal regions, contrasting with well preserved neighbouring gyri. In almost all cases, affected neurons display peculiar inclusion bodies of a finite number of varieties, the morphology and staining properties of which dictate pathological classification of FTD. Approximately 40–50% of FTD cases express the microtubule associated protein tau in the inclusion bodies (tau+), and are
1 University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada 2 Neuropharma, Madrid, Spain 3 University of Ottawa and Ottawa Health Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
E-mail: dave_munoz@yahoo.com