Neuropsychiatric aspects of frontotemporal dementias.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a clinically distinct disorder that is under-recognized. A primary focus of recent research has been to delineate neuropsychiatric features that best discriminate FTD from other dementias, and to identify test instruments that elicit differentiating characteristics most effectively. Additional studies have taken advantage of the clinical and anatomic selectivity that is the hallmark of FTD to explore the functions of different regions of the frontal and temporal lobes. Symptomatic treatments for FTD have shown some promise, raising the potential for improved management in the future.