What is Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)?

About Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)

• FTD is an uncommon type of dementia that causes problems with behaviour and language.
• Dementia is the name for problems with mental abilities caused by gradual changes and damage to the brain.
• FTD affects the front and sides of the brain (the frontal and temporal lobes).
• Causes:
  • The cause of FTD is unknown.
  • Researchers have linked certain subtypes of FTD to mutations in several genes.
  • Some people with FTD have tiny structures, called Pick bodies, in their brain cells. Pick bodies contain an abnormal amount or type of protein.
• Dementia mostly affects people over 65, but FTD tends to start at a younger age. Most cases are diagnosed in people aged 45-65, although they can also affect younger or older people.
• Like other types of dementia, FTD tends to develop slowly and get gradually worse over several years.
• Symptoms:
  • personality and behaviour changes
  • language problems
  • problems with mental abilities
  • memory problems
  • There may also be physical problems, such as slow or stiff movements, loss of bladder or bowel control (usually not until later on), muscle weakness, or difficulty swallowing.
• Treatment:
  • There’s currently no cure for FTD or any treatment that will slow it down.
  • But there are treatments that can help control some of the symptoms, possibly for several years.

Q1) What are Proteins?

Proteins are large, complex molecules that play many critical roles in the body. They do most of the work in cells and are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs. Proteins are made up of hundreds or thousands of smaller units called amino acids, which are attached to one another in long chains. There are 20 different types of amino acids that can be combined to make a protein. 

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