PSP-FTD Complex: A Possible Variant of PSP

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Pathology

Background:

• Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are both tauopathies.
• Distinguishing lobar features between PSP and FTD is crucial for diagnosis and understanding disease mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the types of lobar features in patients diagnosed with PSP.
• To compare these features with those typically observed in FTD.

Main Methods:

• Lobar functions were assessed in a cohort of 45 patients with PSP.
• Clinical features were analyzed to categorize lobar involvement.

Main Results:

• 11.1% of PSP patients showed no lobar features.
• 24.4% exhibited PSP-like features (e.g., apathy, frontal release signs).
• A significant majority (64.4%) displayed FTD-like lobar features, including disinhibition, naming, and word-finding difficulties. Among these, behavioral variant FTD and primary progressive aphasia were most common.

Conclusions:

• Patients with PSP and lobar features may occupy an intermediate position on the PSP-FTD spectrum.
• These findings highlight a complex interplay of frontal lobe features, with some typical of PSP and others resembling FTD.