Frontotemporal Dementia

Course #66102 -

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Overview

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a group of degenerative brain disorders causing progressive deterioration in behavior, language, and/or movement. There are presently approximately 60,000 people with FTD in the United States. Onset generally occurs between 50 and 70 years of age, making FTD one of the most common presenile dementias. FTD affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which control emotions, judgment, personality, memory and language. The clinical diagnosis of FTD can be challenging, as some symptoms overlap with Alzheimer disease and other forms of dementia. FTD can be categorized based on its primary symptoms into three basic types: behavioral variant FTD, primary progressive aphasia, and progressive motor decline. Although most FTD does not appear to be inherited, genetics does play a role in a significant minority of cases. There is no effective treatment or cure for FTD, but there are strategies for management of symptoms. This course will discuss the possible causes and pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management strategies for FTD.

Education Category: Psychiatric / Mental Health
Release Date: 11/01/2021
Expiration Date: 10/31/2024

Table of Contents

Audience

This introductory course is designed for psychologists who may intervene to support patients with frontotemporal dementia and their families.

Accreditations & Approvals

Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.

Designations of Credit

NetCE designates this continuing education activity for 2 credit(s).

Course Objective

The purpose of this course is to provide psychologists with current information on frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Understanding the epidemiology, pathology, clinical features, diagnostic process, genetics, symptom treatment/management, role of brain autopsy, and current research provides a foundation for the care of patients with FTD and support for their families.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

  1. Describe the epidemiology of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in the United States.
  2. Explain the brain changes of FTD and their general clinical manifestations.
  3. Identify the three general presentations of FTD.
  4. Review how a clinical diagnosis of FTD is made, including differentiation from Alzheimer disease.
  5. Summarize the role of genetics in FTD.
  6. Discuss strategies for managing symptoms of FTD and providing support to family caregivers.
  7. Identify goals of current research on FTD.

Faculty

Ellen Steinbart, RN, MA, received a Bachelor of Arts from Macalester College in 1972, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Cornell University-New York Hospital School of Nursing in 1974, and a Master of Arts from the University of Washington School of Nursing in 1979. She worked as a hospital medical-surgical nurse and an intensive-care burn unit nurse, and she taught medical-surgical nursing at the University of Washington School of Nursing. For 25 years, she was a research nurse at the University of Washington, coordinating research projects on the role of genetics in dementia, including frontotemporal degeneration. She is now retired.

Lauren E. Evans, MSW, received her Master’s degree in Social Work from California State University, Sacramento, in 2008. Her focus was on political and community social work. She has also been a Registered International Instructor of Therapeutic Horseback Riding through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) since 2006. She currently works as a mental health practitioner with the homeless population.

Faculty Disclosure

Contributing faculty, Ellen Steinbart, RN, MA, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.

Contributing faculty, Lauren E. Evans, MSW, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.

Division Planner

James Trent, PhD

Division Planner Disclosure

The division planner has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.

Director of Development and Academic Affairs

Sarah Campbell

Director Disclosure Statement

The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.

About the Sponsor

The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.

Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.

Disclosure Statement

It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.

Technical Requirements

Supported browsers for Windows include Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.0 and up, Mozilla Firefox 3.0 and up, Opera 9.0 and up, and Google Chrome. Supported browsers for Macintosh include Safari, Mozilla Firefox 3.0 and up, Opera 9.0 and up, and Google Chrome. Other operating systems and browsers that include complete implementations of ECMAScript edition 3 and CSS 2.0 may work, but are not supported. Supported browsers must utilize the TLS encryption protocol v1.1 or v1.2 in order to connect to pages that require a secured HTTPS connection. TLS v1.0 is not supported.

Implicit Bias in Health Care

The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.

Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.