The findings in EEG are commonly abnormal in frontotemporal dementia, often showing focal slowing of electrical activity over one or both frontal or temporal lobes. These findings are not sufficiently specific to be clinically useful, and in general, EEG is less useful than functional brain imaging with PET scanning or even lobar atrophy on MRI.
Routine testing (eg, blood, CSF) in frontotemporal lobe dementia is usually unrevealing.
The genetic test for APOE-4 is less useful in frontotemporal dementia than in Alzheimer disease. A study by Mesulam and colleagues found no association between frontotemporal dementia and the APOE-4 genotype. Other studies have had somewhat different results, but in general, APOE-4 correlates much better with Alzheimer disease than with frontotemporal dementia.
For more on frontotemporal dementia, read here.
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Cite this: Helmi L. Lutsep. Fast Five Quiz: Dementia - Medscape - Oct 17, 2018.
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