Pick's disease versus Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

The clinical recognition of Pick's disease depends on its differentiation from Alzheimer's disease (AD). To identify distinguishing clinical features, we reviewed the clinical records of 21 patients with pathologically confirmed Pick's disease and matched them by sex, age of onset, and duration of dementia with 42 patients having pathologically confirmed AD. In the absence of temporal or frontal lobar atrophy on CTs, all the Pick patients and none of the AD patients had three of five clinical features: presenile onset (before age 65), an initial personality change, hyperorality, disinhibition, and roaming behavior. In addition, the Pick patients had a tendency toward reiterative and other speech disturbances. These findings suggest that Pick patients are potentially distinguishable from AD patients on the basis of clinical manifestations.

Magnetic resonance imaging correlates of set shifting

“…Differentiation between FTD and AD during life can be problematic, however, because both disorders have an insidious onset, produce a progressive dementia syndrome that can include executive dysfunction and language impairment, and can cause alterations in behavior (Mendez et al, 1993). Consequently, despite the careful application of the Neary criteria (Neary et al, 1998), some subjects might have been misdiagnosed.…”

Distinct cognitive profiles and rates of decline on the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale in autopsy-confirmed frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease

“…Although histopathologically distinct from the more common Alzheimer's disease (AD), FTD is often difficult to differentiate from probable AD during life (Litvan et al, 1997;Mendez et al, 1993;Varma et al, 1999). Accurate differential diagnosis is crucial, however, given potential differences in prognosis (Rascovsky et al, 2005) and in pharmacological management strategies that might be suggested by different neurotransmitter system involvement in the two disorders Moretti et al, 2003;Pasquier et al, 2003;Qume et al, 1994;Rahman et al, 1999;Sparks & Markesbery, 1991;Swartz et al, 1997).…”

Apolipoprotein E gene in frontotemporal dementia: an association study and meta-analysis

“…This has lead to a better distinction of FTD from AD, which is the most frequent misdiagnosis of FTD. 3,4 Recently, mutations in the tau gene localised to 17q21 have been identified in several families with autosomal dominant inheritance. 5 -8 To date, ten missense mutations, two deletions, and three transition mutations not altering the encoded amino-acid sequence have been identified in exons of the tau gene.…”