Frontotemporal Dementia
(Pick's Disease)

*Frontotemporal dementia (Pick's disease) facts medical author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), or Pick's disease, is a syndrome featuring shrinking of the frontal and temporal anterior lobes of the brain.
• The symptoms of frontotemporal dementia fall into two clinical patterns that involve either: (1) changes in behavior, or (2) problems with language.
• Frontotemporal dementia is often inherited and runs in families.
• There is no treatment for frontotemporal dementia and treatment is directed toward minimizing symptoms.
• Frontotemporal dementia progresses steadily and often rapidly and is fatal. The duration of disease ranges from less than 2 years in some individuals to more than 10 years in others

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) describes a clinical syndrome associated with shrinking of the frontal and temporal anterior lobes of the brain. Originally known as Pick's disease, the name and classification of frontotemporal dementia has been a topic of discussion for over a century. The current designation of the syndrome groups together Pick's disease, primary progressive aphasia, and semantic dementia as frontotemporal dementia. Some doctors propose adding corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy to frontotemporal dementia and calling the group Pick Complex. These designations will continue to be debated.

Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/pick_disease/article.htm