Brain imaging in frontotemporal dementia of Pick type and semantic dementia

Shinobu Kawakatsu

Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine

CT, MRI and SPECT findings in consecutive 55 frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) patients (24 Pick type, 20 semantic dementia, 9 frontal lobe degeneration type, 2 progressive non-fluent aphasia) in Yamagata were examined. Most patients of Pick type and semantic dementia showed asymmetric frontotemporal or temporal atrophy. The extent of the atrophy was usually severe even in the initial stage of the disease. SPECT and statistical parametric mapping revealed more extensive hypoperfusion areas including inferior parietal lobule. The patients with right frontal and temporal lesions had more behavioral problems than those with left lesions. The diagnosis of FTLD is not difficult if we understand the peculiarities in language and behavioral symptoms together with lobar atrophy on brain imaging.

Address correspondence to Dr. Shinobu Kawakatsu, Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine (2-2-2, Iida-nishi, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan)