Abstract

Frontotemporal lobe dementia (FTD) is a debilitating progressive neurodegenerative disease that is difficult to diagnose with certainty. Two variants of the disease are known. One variant, known commonly as semantic dementia, primarily involves difficulty in producing and comprehending language. The other, known as frontal variant FTD (fv-FTD), symptomatically manifests as behavioral changes such as inertia, loss of volition, social disinhibition, and distractibility. As with other types of dementia, outcomes in FTD are poor but accurate diagnosis is essential for treatment and prognosis. Various testing methods may be used to diagnose FTD, but there is no definitive testing rubric or process. The goal of this study is to compare and contrast two different approaches to testing to determine if one is more sensitive and/or specific than the other. The hypothesis of this study is that testing using Theory of Mind (TOM) techniques is more effective than routine clinical testing methods in a community-based memory disorders clinic. If this hypothesis is correct, this study will shed light on better testing methods to diagnose FTD, and will pave the way for a standardized system in which FTD is tested for in the clinical setting.