Criminal Behavior in Early Onset Neurodegenerative Diseases

Literature on criminal behavior preceding a neurodegenerative disease diagnosis is insufficient. Some studies suggest increased crime rates among patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Patients with neurodegenerative diseases were gathered from Kuopio and Oulu University Hospitals and compared with nonselective general population data from Statistics Finland (N = 24,144). Clinical data were linked to the Finnish national register of police-reported crimes.

In total, 2424 participants with neurodegenerative diseases were included. Overall crime rates were notably higher among patients with FTD during the year before the diagnosis (9.4% for FTD, 6.3% for controls, p = 0.019). There was a significant drop in the criminal rates of FTD patients 3 years after the diagnosis (4.7% in the FTD, 12.3% in controls, p < 0.001).

Criminal behavior is overrepresented in patients with FTD before the diagnosis. Criminal behavior manifesting in previously law-abiding individuals in late adulthood should be considered a potential early symptom of a neurodegenerative disease.