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   The Dangerous Dementia Symptom That Isn't Memory Loss    
      
      
   AGINGCARE.COM FEBRUARY 5, 2015 2:30 PM    
   The Dangerous Dementia Symptom That Isn't Memory Loss    
   When most people think about the first signs of dementia, memory loss is often   
   top of mind. While it's true that trouble with short term memory is a hallmark   
   of Alzheimer's--the most common form of dementia--other categories of chronic   
   cognitive    
   impairment (e.g. Lewy Body dementia, vascular dementia, etc.) have different   
   symptoms.    
      
   In fact, a new study from the University of California, San Francisco,   
   Department of Neurology found an intriguing link between delinquent behavior   
   and certain types of dementia.    
      
   It's no secret that out-of-character behavior is one of the primary indicators   
   of most forms of dementia. But a recent analysis of nearly 2,400 dementia   
   patients revealed that criminal acts such as theft, trespassing, public   
   urination and sexual advances    
   were more common among individuals who were in the initial stages of the   
   behavioral variant form of frontotemporal dementia (FTD).    
      
   People with FTD tend to experience the first symptoms of their condition   
   earlier than those with Alzheimer's. In fact, about 60 percent of people with   
   FTD are between the ages of 45 and 64, according to the National Institutes of   
   Health (NIH), making it    
   about as prevalent as Alzheimer's among people under 65.    
      
   What is FTD?    
      
   As its name suggests, FTD is a degenerative disease that affects the frontal   
   and temporal lobes of the brain.    
      
   The frontal lobes govern the brain's executive functioning capab   
   lities--planning, multitasking, recognizing mistakes and prioritizing tasks.   
   It also acts as a kind of filter, helping us distinguish between appropriate   
   and inappropriate behavior in a    
   given situation. People with damage to their frontal lobes may experience   
   issues with things like managing finances or loudly laughing during a solemn   
   event.    
      
   The temporal lobes bear much of the responsibility for governing emotions and   
   language processing, as well as connecting certain memories with certain   
   senses (e.g. the song that was playing during your first kiss). People with   
   damage to their temporal    
   lobes can have trouble recognizing dangerous situations, or making sense of   
   and responding appropriately to emotional situations.    
      
   "Criminal" acts caused by FTD    
      
   Understanding that FTD can cause dramatic behavioral changes in adults is key   
   to the early detection of the disease, not to mention that appropriate   
   handling of "criminal" acts committed by those with FTD.    
      
   "Judicial evaluations of criminality in the demented individual might require   
   different criteria that the classic 'insanity defense,' used in the American   
   legal system;" the study authors write. Indeed, such findings beg the question   
   of the    
   appropriateness of punishing a person for a crime that they don't even   
   understand they've committed.    
      
   On an individual level, the knowledge that uncharacteristic criminal behavior   
   can accompany the onset of FTD can be beneficial for family members who are   
   perplexed by their loved one's peculiar (sometimes disturbing) acts. The study   
   authors suggest that    
   an adult who suddenly engages in criminal or wildly inappropriate acts should   
   be evaluated for dementia.    
      
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   8 Facts about Lewy Body Dementia    
      
   Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may   
   not reflect those of    
      
   Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.    
      
      
      
      
      
   http://os.care2.com/all/the-dangerous-dementia-symptom-that-isnt-memory-loss#1    
      
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