Non-pharmacological management for patients with frontotemporal dementia

Shunichiro Shinagawa

Department of Psychiatry, Jikei University School of Medicine

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by changes in behavior caused by focal degeneration of the frontal and anterior temporal lobes. Early age at onset and their behavioral symptoms are distressing to patients and their caregivers. Non-pharmacological management is important, as no disease specific pharmacological treatment for FTD is currently available. However, most of non-pharmacological interventions have been proposed by literatures based on clinical experience, and very few controlled trials exist. A small number of studies have supported behavioral management techniques that exploit disease specific behaviors and preserved functions in patients with FTD, along with the management of caregivers' distress. Well-designed large-scale researches to examine effects of non-pharmacological interventions on behavioral symptoms of FTD are required.

Address correspondence to Dr. Shunichiro Shinagawa, Department of Psychiatry, Jikei University School of Medicine (3-25-8 Nishi-shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan)