Living With Frontotemporal Degeneration: Diagnostic Journey, Symptom Experiences, and Disease Impact

Abstract

Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) is an umbrella term encompassing a range of rare neurodegenerative disorders that cause progressive declines in cognition, behavior, and personality. Hearing directly from individuals living with FTD and their care partners is critical in optimizing care, identifying meaningful clinical trial endpoints, and improving research recruitment and retention. The current paper presents a subset of data from the FTD Insights Survey, chronicling the diagnostic journey, symptoms, and the impact of FTD on distress, quality of life, and independence, in the mild to moderate stages of the disease. Survey respondents included 219 individuals diagnosed with FTD and 437 current care partners, representing a range of FTD diagnoses. Around half of survey respondents reported seeing three or more doctors before an FTD diagnosis was given, and a range of prior diagnoses were noted. Most frequently endorsed symptoms tended to be consistent with clinical characteristics of the specific diagnosis, though there was significant variability in symptoms reported within diagnostic categories as well as considerable overlap in symptoms between diagnostic categories. Cognitive and language symptoms of FTD were generally most distressing to the person diagnosed, and a loss of independence was endorsed as affecting quality of life. The distinct perspectives of diagnosed persons and care partners regarding disease impact differed notably for bvFTD/Pick's disease. Participating independently in a range of activities, within the home, outside the home, and with other people, were reported as challenging for people living with FTD, underscoring the degree to which the lives of these individuals are affected even at the mild and moderate stages of disease. Overall, by heeding the perspectives of those living with FTD, we can begin to design more meaningful research studies, provide better care, and develop therapies that improve quality of life.

Keywords: frontotemporal degeneration; frontotemporal dementia; lived experience; survey.