Multidimensional Clinical Assessment in Frontotemporal Dementia and Its Spectrum in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Narrative Review and a Glance at Future Challenges
Journal
Frontiers in Neurology
ISSN
1664-2295
Date Issued
2022
Author(s)
Fernando Henríquez
Victoria Cabello
Sandra Baez
Leonardo Cruz de Souza
Patricia Lillo
David Martínez-Pernía
Loreto Olavarría
Teresa Torralva
Type
Resource Types::text::journal::journal article
URL Institutional Repository
Abstract
<jats:p>Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the third most common form of dementia across all age groups and is a leading cause of early-onset dementia. The Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) includes a spectrum of diseases that are classified according to their clinical presentation and patterns of neurodegeneration. There are two main types of FTD: behavioral FTD variant (bvFTD), characterized by a deterioration in social function, behavior, and personality; and primary progressive aphasias (PPA), characterized by a deficit in language skills. There are other types of FTD-related disorders that present motor impairment and/or parkinsonism, including FTD with motor neuron disease (FTD-MND), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and corticobasal syndrome (CBS). The FTD and its associated disorders present great clinical heterogeneity. The diagnosis of FTD is based on the identification through clinical assessments of a specific clinical phenotype of impairments in different domains, complemented by an evaluation through instruments, i.e., tests and questionnaires, validated for the population under study, thus, achieving timely detection and treatment. While the prevalence of dementia in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is increasing rapidly, there is still a lack of standardized instruments and consensus for FTD diagnosis. In this context, it is important to review the published tests and questionnaires adapted and/or validated in LAC for the assessment of cognition, behavior, functionality, and gait in FTD and its spectrum. Therefore, our paper has three main goals. First, to present a narrative review of the main tests and questionnaires published in LAC for the assessment of FTD and its spectrum in six dimensions: (i) Cognitive screening; (ii) Neuropsychological assessment divided by cognitive domain; (iii) Gait assessment; (iv) Behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms; (v) Functional assessment; and (vi) Global Rating Scale. Second, to propose a multidimensional clinical assessment of FTD in LAC identifying the main gaps. Lastly, it is proposed to create a LAC consortium that will discuss strategies to address the current challenges in the field.</jats:p>
Subjects
frontotemporal dementia
;
neuropsychological assessment
;
functional assessment
;
gait assessment
;
behavior assessment
;
neuropsychiatric symptoms
;
multidimensional assessment
;
consortium
;
apraxia
;
behavior assessment
;
caribbean
;
clinical assessment
;
clinical evaluation
;
cognition assessment
;
corticobasal degeneration
;
dementia assessment
;
depth perception
;
episodic memory
;
executive function
;
frontotemporal dementia
;
functional assessment
;
gait
;
global rating scale
;
human
;
language disability
;
mental disease assessment
;
motor control
;
motor dysfunction
;
motor neuron disease
;
neurologic disease assessment
;
neuropsychological test
;
parkinsonism
;
personality
;
phenotype
;
population research
;
prevalence
;
primary progressive aphasia
;
progressive supranuclear palsy
;
questionnaire
;
review
;
social behavior
;
social cognition
;
social status
;
south and central america
;
visual memory