This is a terrific article in today’s Los Angeles Times (latimes.com) about a family challenged by FTD (frontotemporal dementia), which used to be called Pick’s Disease. In the local Brain Support Network group, we’ve had two people with a clinical diagnosis of PSP who were diagnosed with FTD (Pick’s Disease) upon brain autopsy. Also, one person in our BSN support group was clinically diagnosed with DLB but ended up with a different type of frontotemporal dementia on brain autopsy. So….it’s probably good for those dealing with dementia to know about FTD as it can look like the disorders in our group.
I do wish we could get some wonderful articles written about the disorders in our group in the SF Chronicle or SJ Mercury News!
Robin
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latimes.com/news/local/la-me-
COLUMN ONE
Little-known brain disease rips apart lives of victim, loved ones
By Thomas Curwen
Los Angeles Times
February 10, 2012
When Stu Bryant began acting rude and impulsive, his family was baffled. Then they learned he had frontotemporal disease, which strips away self-restraint and the ability to decipher social situations. More than a year after the diagnosis, Maureen Bryant had grown accustomed to making excuses for her husband. When Stu stood behind a tattooed woman in line at Panda Express, and said loudly, “Wow, that’s a lot of tattoos,” Moe stepped between him and the woman and apologized.
When he repeatedly wandered into the house that was being built down the street — despite the “No Trespassing” sign and the fence — she explained to the owner that he was just curious. Possibly the most embarrassing episode occurred when they were coming home from dinner, and she dashed into a mini-mart at a marina in Oxnard to buy milk.
Here’s a link to the full article:
latimes.com/news/local/la-me-