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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

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Published on: November 6, 2017
Apathy and functional disability in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia.
Mônica S Yassuda1, Thais B Lima da Silva1, Claire M O'Connor1
1Neurology Department (MSY, TBLdS, VSB, SMDB, RN), University of São Paulo, Brazil; Ageing, Work & Health Research Unit (CMO), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Australia; Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (SM, SA), Hyderabad, India; Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Research Group (VA-C, HCG, PC), Faculdade de Medicina and Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte; Department of Neurology (MLFB, BD), University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders (JRH, OP, EM), University of New South Wales; Neuroscience Research Australia (JRH, OP), Randwick; and School of Health Sciences (EM), University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
Cognitive deficits and apathy significantly impact daily function in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). Addressing these factors, particularly apathy, is crucial for improving instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in bvFTD patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) significantly impacts patients and families.
- Understanding factors contributing to functional impairment is critical for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the contribution of cognitive and neuropsychiatric factors to everyday function in bvFTD patients.
- To analyze these contributions across different levels of functional impairment.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter, retrospective cross-sectional study included 109 bvFTD patients.
- Evaluated everyday function (DAD), cognition (ACE-R), and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPI).
- Multiple linear regression analyses examined predictors of functional impairment, controlling for demographic factors.
Main Results:
- Cognitive deficits worsened significantly in the very severe functional impairment subgroup.
- Cognitive performance (ACE-R) and apathy explained 32.5% of variance in total daily function (DAD).
- Cognitive performance (ACE-R) alone explained 35.6% of variance in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL).
Conclusions:
- Cognitive deficits and apathy are key drivers of functional disability in bvFTD.
- Targeting apathy and cognitive impairment is essential for improving IADLs in bvFTD.
- Factors influencing basic activities of daily living (BADLs) require further investigation.
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