Difficulties in the Management of Frontal Dementia: Therapeutics Strategies

Rita      Moretti; Paola      Torre; Rodolfo   M.   Antonello; Tatiana      Cattaruzza; Giuseppe      Cazzato

Abstract

Frontal dementia gives rise to characteristic behavioral changes, which include altered emotions, profound alterations in personality and social conduct, and behavioral alterations constitute core and supportive symptoms laid out in the diagnostic criteria. There are some behavioral symptoms which are considered specific for frontal dementia, being present in at least 50% of cases. These includes loss of basic emotions and social embarrassment, selfishness, disinhibition, irritability, neglect, apathy, altered preference for sweet foods, with a tendency to continue eating for as long as food is present, or to steal food from others plates, motor and verbal stereotypies, wandering, and an absence of insightfulness. Albeit anatomical pathways are well known, there is no known therapy to prevent the advance of frontal dementia. The circuits involve a number of transmitters, receptor subtypes, and second messengers that can be potentially mediated pharmacologically. Though, rational treatments are currently limited . We present the possible actual and future therapeutic choices on the basis of anatomical and biochemical substrates.

Keywords: frontal dementia, serotonine, acetylcholine, dopamine

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