Challenges and new opportunities in the investigation of new drug therapies to treat frontotemporal dementia

Abstract

Background: Frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorders are a set of neurodegenerative disorders affecting the frontal and anterior temporal lobes. They are often fatal, and currently no medications have been shown to slow their progression. Recent developments in understanding these disorders may aid in developing treatments.

Objective: To discuss the development of drug therapies for frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorders, both those under current investigation and those that could be targets for future investigation.

Methods: This review is divided into four sections: First, a brief review of frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorders; second, a discussion of the challenges in the development of drug therapies third, a review of the current clinical trials; and finally a discussion of some recent discoveries, which have sparked new areas of investigation.

Conclusions: Hopefully, advances in understanding of frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorders and clinical trial design will aid the development of new treatments.

Figure 1

Brain areas typically affected in frontotemporal dementia (prefrontal cortex and anterior temporal lobes).