Comments on: About the author

By: bubblies

bubblies — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:56:54 +0000

Very sad outcome for all of us as a family, but we managed to keep our home, the diagnosis was along drawn out process, my husband luckily got ill health retirement, so we will try to enjoy everything we can.
Obviously awareness is needed for this rare neurodegenerative disease, not only for the public but for the medical professionals involved. The Spect scan result is only as good as the person reading it, the first interpretation was wrong, but he did state it was not in keeping with the previous MRI. Complicated, how many other patients are there out there who have been told their scan is nothing to worry about?

By: bubblies

bubblies — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:39:04 +0000

Hi, do not know if this has any meaning for anyone, but we have had a confirmation of my husbands diagnosis, Fronto temporal dementia with possible MND.
Due to the alternative diagnosis’s given by the local psychologist, with whom i totally disagreed I requested my husband attended a cerebral function unit that specializes in neurodegenerative diseases. The reason for my post is we were previously told the hypoperfusion on the Spect scan was possibly normal ageing changes and not a cause for concern this was given by the local hospitals radiologist.
The specialist team looked at my husbands previous Spect scan and have said it shows frontal reduction and frontal parietal reduction. This now explains all the problems my husband was having as it takes a lot of cell death to show atrophy. The evidence was there all the time. The neuropsychological testing also confirmed my husbands problems.

By: Susan Jones

Susan Jones — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:46:38 +0000

Greetings from Australia. You helped me with my university assignment. Thank so much.

By: Marina

Marina — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:39:32 +0000

You have really interesting blog, keep up posting such informative posts!

By: Pillow

Pillow — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:08:13 +0000

Thanks for share. This is the best site i’ve read today.

By: Leigh

Leigh — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:13:56 +0000

Hey awesome post! Mind if I repost to my blog?

By: Fritzler

Fritzler — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 05:35:08 +0000

I think it’s a good idea. Hopefully it will promote some thoughtful comments.

By: bubblies

bubblies — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:29:51 +0000

Sorry, spect scan request was for , behavioral and personality change, sleep disorder. Fronto temporal dementia?
i am aware that there is often no atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes until the disease is in the middle to late stages, my husband would be in the early to middle stage. i know imaging abnormalities are not mandatory for a diagnosis but that FTD is a disruption of the neural network and not from brain cell death, but i do wonder on what your thoughts are with this SPECT result shows, as deep white matter can interupt critical neuropathways that facilitate complex neuropsychological functioning. I wonder how many FTD patients have shown similar patterns of hypoperfusion before the atrophy??? what do you think???

By: bubblies

bubblies — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:17:14 +0000

Sorry for the delay in my reply, the hypoperfusion was discovered on a SPECT scan. It was reported as” out of keeping with the normal apperances on the prior MRI. this may represent small vessel ischaemic changes. Normal pattern of cortical activity.
Comment No specific scintigraphic features of fronto-temporal dementia.”
My husband is aged 45 has Had a dramatic personality change, went from superstar driver of the year for his company to been on a final written warning after 20 years of an excellent work record. He has no empathy no emotions and is selfish. he falls on occasion drops things but lacks insight into any of his deficts. has Mylonic jerks in bed and is hyperactive and hypersexual plus rude and inconsiderate to people. now smokes to excess and drinks on an evening to excess. Plus a hundred other symptoms.
We have a diagnosis from a neurologist, of probable dementia FTD and alcohol excess plus now COPD( his lungs were perfect 12 months ago) The cogntive problems started 2 1/2 years ago.
we have a diagnosis of organic brain disease from the psychiatrist and the psychologist cannot make her mind up as she thinks he is young for such a profound diagnosis. She thinks they might have missed vascular dementia, but all his problems were 18months before the lung problems which by the way is a stupid cough and recurrent chest infections, but he is never out of breath and does not have cardiac problems or hypertension these people are not FTD specialists.
we are due another MRI in sept and more neuropsychological testing to see if there are any changes.
There is at present no bio markers for this disease, but i wondered what you think about these white matter changes, as there is a lot of interest now due to a better understanding of the white matter’s role in the function of the brain.

By: Jared Tanner

Jared Tanner — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:14:27 +0000

Yes, I do. It’s difficult to say what mild cerebral hypoperfusion in that deep white matter will do in any individual case. It depends on the reasons for the neurological investigation (the symptoms) as well as what the brain scan and neurological testing show. Was this hypoperfusion discovered with a PET scan, an fMRI, or something else?