FTD with motor neuron disease

Approximately 15% of patients with FTD also develop motor neuron disease (FTD-MND). Most often, this combination occurs in patients with bvFTD, and only rarely does MND arise in patients with SD or PNFA. MND affects motor nerve cells in the spinal cord, the brain stem (which sits on top of the spinal cord), and the cerebral cortex. Because the brainstem was once referred to as the “bulb”, you may hear some MND symptoms described as "bulbar symptoms". The most common type of MND is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease, which can occur as a purely motor disorder. More often, however, patients with ALS also have behavioral or cognitive problems similar to those seen in FTD. MND symptoms include slurring of speech, difficulty swallowing, choking, limb weakness or muscle wasting. In patients with FTD-MND, there is often (but not always) a family history of the disease, and scientists are getting closer to identifying gene mutations that cause the illness.

article_image_comp: