ABSTRACT
The frontal lobes are unique in that they account for nearly one-third of the cerebral cortex and have great anatomic and functional diversity. For this reason, damage to frontal regions (and, by extension, to the temporal lobes as well) produces a spectrum of syndromes with disproportionate effects on executive function, behavioral control, and language. Fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) represents a group of related dementias that have several of the following common elements: focal neuronal loss in the frontal and/or temporal lobes, cognitive impairment, and early disturbances that predominantly affect behavior, language, and personality. Given these characteristics, FTD in its early stages may closely resemble psychiatric disorders with psychotic, obsessive-compulsive, depressive, or manic features. In the middle and later stages, it is often confused with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
