[Behavioral Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia: A Case Report of a 54-Year-Old Female Patient].

Abstract

Frontotemporal dementia is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, and it is believed to primarily develop based on genetic factors. Its initial symptoms can appear relatively early, even between the ages of 40-50, affecting approximately 15-22 individuals out of 100,000 annually. The disease manifests in various forms, categorized into behavioral, aphasic, and motor variants due to its diverse presentations. The behavioral variant, constituting about half of the cases, is the most common type. It involves personality changes, behavioral problems, and cognitive decline, with patients surviving an average of 8.5 years from the onset of symptoms. Currently, there is no curative therapy available, and only symptomatic treatment can be administered to improve the quality of life. In the case we presented, the symptoms of the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia appeared atypically, accompanied by perceptual disturbances and a paranoid attitude, further complicating the definitive diagnosis.