Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jun;16(6):918-925.
doi: 10.1002/alz.12098. Epub 2020 May 13.

Measurement and characterization of distinctive clinical phenotypes using the Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Module (FTLD-MOD)

Tamar Gefen  1   2 , Merilee A Teylan  3 , Lilah Besser  4 , Emma Pollner  1 , Anna Moshkovich  1 , Sandra Weintraub  1   2
Affiliations

Measurement and characterization of distinctive clinical phenotypes using the Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Module (FTLD-MOD)

Tamar Gefen et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Introduction: The Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Module (FTLD-MOD) was designed as a research neuropsychological battery to evaluate clinical symptoms associated with FTLD. This study investigated whether the FTLD-MOD could differentiate between primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), two distinct FTLD-related syndromes.

Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted on data collected from the initial visit of 165 subjects with PPA, 268 with bvFTD, and 251 cognitively normal controls from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. Generalized linear models were used to compare group performance patterns on FTLD-MOD tasks of language, behavior, and memory.

Results: PPA participants showed significantly poorer performances on all language tasks whereas bvFTD participants demonstrated poorer performances on most behavioral measures. There were no differences in memory performances. Descriptive data on participant groups are provided for reference.

Discussion: Findings from this multi-center sample suggest that the FTLD-MOD can differentiate between distinctive clinical phenotypes commonly associated with FTLD.

Keywords: FTLD-MOD; behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia; frontotemporal lobar degeneration; primary progressive aphasia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
A, Mean performance (total score) on language-related measures of the FTLD-MOD by clinical diagnosis. * = statistically significant difference between PPA and bvFTD at P < 0.05; error bars = standard deviation. B, Mean performance (indicated as percent “correct,” which signifies a higher tendency toward intact or socially acceptable behavioral performances) on behavior-related measures of the FTLD-MOD by clinical diagnosis. * = statistically significant difference between PPA and bvFTD at P < 0.05; error bars = standard deviation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration. Disease Overview. Available at: https://www.theaftd.org/what-is-ftd/disease-overview/ Published 2019. Accessed.
    1. Neary D, Snowden JS, Gustafson L, et al. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration: a consensus on clinical diagnostic criteria. Neurology. 1998;51(6):1546–1554. - PubMed
    1. Mesulam MM. Primary progressive aphasia–a language-based dementia. N Engl J Med. 2003;349(16):1535–1542. - PubMed
    1. Hodges JR, Davies RR, Xuereb JH, et al. Clinicopathological correlates in frontotemporal dementia. Ann Neurol. 2004;56(3):399–406. - PubMed
    1. Beekly DL, Ramos EM, Lee WW, et al. The National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) database: the uniform data set. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2007;21(3):249. - PubMed

Publication types

Grants and funding