Clinical and pathologpcal studies on Frontal lobe dementia / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To verify a uncommon neurodegenerative disease accompanying with dementia--frontal lobe dementia, or dementia of frontal lobe type (DFT). Methods A brain sample was obtained from a patient of 46-year-old male with progressive dementia. Conventional neurohistopathological examination and immunostaining for prion protein (PrP) and tau protein were performed, and clinical data were analysed. Results (1) It was shown having progressive neurological and psychical symptoms and a three month illness duration. (2) Atrophy was found in bilateral frontal gray matter in CT scan. Slow waves of high amplitude with long intermission of two second in whole course of electroencephalography examination were seen. (3) Brain weight was 1 050 g. The cerebral cortex was atrophied and restricted to frontal lobes. The temporal lobes were unaffected. (4) A severe loss of nerve cells from second frontal cortical layer with glioses was revealed, but pyramidal cells in this region remained intact. There were no positive findings on staining of Beilschowky and Gallyas methods. (5) No inclusions were seen in remaining nerve cells and gliocyte. (6) Immunohistochemistry revealed no significant changes on PrP and tau protein.Conclusion This is more typical a case of DFT , and now increasingly recognized. It suggests that a dementia of frontal lobe type should be considered when differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease with dementia have been made.