ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although most patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) present with neuropsychiatric symptoms, the frequency of psychotic symptoms is unclear. This study aims to determine the prevalence of psychotic symptoms in a large cohort of well-diagnosed and followed FTD patients compared to age-matched patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to further review the literature on psychosis in FTD. METHODS: Delusions, hallucinations and paranoia were evaluated among 86 patients who met consensus criteria for FTD, had frontotemporal changes on functional neuroimaging and were followed for 2 years. They were compared to 23 patients with early-onset AD on a caregiver-administered psychiatric questionnaire. RESULTS: Among the FTD patients, only 2 (2.3%) had delusions, 1 of whom had paranoid ideation; no FTD patient had hallucinations. This was significantly less than the AD patients, 4 (17.4%) of whom had delusions and paranoia. Other investigations fail to establish a significant association of psychosis with FTD. CONCLUSIONS: These findings, and a literature review, indicate that psychotic symptoms are rare in FTD, possibly due to limited temporal-limbic involvement in this disorder.
Subject(s)
Delusions , Dementia , Hallucinations , Paranoid Disorders , Psychotic Disorders , Alzheimer Disease/epidemiology , Alzheimer Disease/psychology , Delusions/diagnosis , Delusions/epidemiology , Delusions/etiology , Dementia/epidemiology , Dementia/pathology , Dementia/psychology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Hallucinations/diagnosis , Hallucinations/epidemiology , Hallucinations/etiology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Paranoid Disorders/diagnosis , Paranoid Disorders/epidemiology , Paranoid Disorders/etiology , Prevalence , Psychotic Disorders/diagnosis , Psychotic Disorders/epidemiology , Psychotic Disorders/etiologyABSTRACT
Podiatric physicians care for a wide spectrum of patients with neurologic illness. Often, patients with neurologic disease present to their podiatric physician with unrelated complaints that can be easily separated from their underlying neurologic condition. However, some neurologic conditions predictably lead to podiatric disease and, as such, are best treated in the context of the broader disease process. Neuropathies, spastic disorders, and cerebral palsy are examples of common neurologic disorders that can be associated with substantial podiatric manifestations; therefore, it is important for podiatric physicians to be familiar with these conditions. This article reviews the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and management of the common neurologic disorders affecting the foot.
