The first signs of frontotemporal dementia usually include changes in behaviour or language problems.
These happen gradually and get worse over time.
Eventually, most people will have behavioural or language problems. Some people also develop physical problems and difficulties with their mental abilities.
Behaviour and personality changes
Many people with frontotemporal dementia develop behaviours that are not normal for them. They are usually not aware of these behaviours.
These can include:
- being insensitive or rude
- acting impulsively or rashly
- loss of inhibitions
- being subdued
- losing interest in people and things
- losing drive and motivation
- inability to empathise, seeming cold and selfish
- repetitive behaviours, such as humming, hand-rubbing and foot-tapping
- developing routines such as walking exactly the same route repetitively
- a change in food preferences, such as suddenly liking sweet foods, and poor table manners
- compulsive eating, drinking alcohol or smoking
- neglecting personal hygiene
People with frontotemporal dementia may become socially isolated and withdrawn.
Language problems
Some people develop problems with speech and language.
They may:
- use words incorrectly - for example, calling a sheep a dog
- lose some vocabulary
- repeat a limited number of phrases
- forget the meaning of common words
- speak slowly
- find it hard to make the right sounds to say words
- get words in the wrong order
- automatically repeat things other people have said
Some people gradually lose the ability to speak.
Problems with mental abilities
Problems with thinking do not usually happen in the early stages. But these often develop as the condition progresses.
Problems can include:
- difficulty working things out and needing to be told what to do
- poor planning, judgement and organisation
- becoming easily distracted
- thinking in a rigid and inflexible way
- losing the ability to understand abstract ideas
- difficulty recognising familiar people or objects
- loss of memory - but this is not common early on
Physical problems
In the later stages of the condition, some people develop physical problems and difficulties with movement.
These can include:
- slow, stiff movements, similar to Parkinson's disease
- difficulty swallowing
- loss of bladder control
- loss of bowel control
Some people have frontotemporal dementia along with other neurological (nerve and brain) problems.
These can include:
- motor neurone disease - causes increasing weakness, usually with muscle wasting
- corticobasal degeneration - causes problems controlling limbs, loss of balance and co-ordination and slowness
- progressive supranuclear palsy - causes problems with balance, movement, eye movements and swallowing
Non-urgent advice: Contact your GP if:
- you think you have early symptoms of dementia
Your GP can do some checks to try to find out the cause of your symptoms. They may refer you to a specialist for further tests.
If you are referred to a specialist, it's usually helpful to have someone with you who knows you well. They can give the specialist another perspective on your symptoms.
If you're worried about someone else having dementia, encourage them to see their GP. You could suggest that you go with them.
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE
