Memory complaints in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia: a case report

摘要

Introduction: Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a term that encompasses differentneurodegenerative clinical entities that compromise the frontal and temporal lobes, being thebehavioral variant the most frequent presentation. This is characterized by behavioral andcognitive impairment, with greater affection in executive functions and an apparent preservationof episodic memory. In spite of it, studies have shown the behavioral variant of FTLD can occurwith significant impairment of episodic memory, in a similar way to those experienced inAlzheimer’s Type of Dementia, differing frontotemporal dementia with or without amnesia. Casereport: 62-year-old woman, consults with her daughter due to memory difficulties of insidiousonset and progressive course during approximately two years, which led to conclusions of apossible case of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Nevertheless, the findings of the neuropsychologicalassessment confirm disturbances at the executive level with preservation of episodic memory,and imaging study show frontotemporal cortical atrophy of frontal predominance; results thatsuggest a probable behavioral variant of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Dicussion: Include areview of the case and the information avaliable about possible mecanism that explain memorycomplaints in this population, also a description of “amnesic” subtypes of FTD. Importance ofconsidering a possible compromise in episodic memory and a complete evaluation that includesneuropsychological tests and imaging studies is emphasized.