frontotemporal degeneration

Question 1

clinical manifestations?

Answer 1

behavioral variant:
1. disinhibited oral, physical, or sexual behaviors
2. decline in social cognition
3. lack of sympathy and empathy
4. apathy
5. repetitive speech, rituals, or obsessions

language variant:
1. difficulties with speech and comprehension

relative sparing of memory/learning and perceptual-motor function
very sensitive to antipsychotics

Question 2

diagnosis?

Answer 2

clinical correlation with neuroimaging showing atrophy of frontotemporal lobes

Question 3

tx?

Answer 3

symptoms-focused.
SSRI can be given to reduce anxiety, obsessions, repetitive behaviors

Question 4

HIV infection risks? symptoms? tx?

Answer 4

high viral load in CSF, hx of severe immunosuppression, advanced HIV infection. presentation depends on area of brain affected. treated with antiretroviral drugs

Question 5

huntington disease pathology? triad? major cognitive domain affected? tx?

Answer 5

CAG repeats in gene that encodes for huntington protein on chromosome 4. triad of motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. major domain is executive function. treated with tetrabenazine or atypical antipsychotics