VOA健康报道2024--What is the Brain Condition Frontotemporal Dementia?

What is the Brain Condition Frontotemporal Dementia?

A brain wasting disease called frontotemporal dementia has gained attention after television and film personalities¹ said they suffered from it.

In a statement, caregivers said doctors told talk show host Wendy Williams that she had the unusual form of dementia. It said Williams had undergone many medical tests to identify the condition. Actor Bruce Willis is also reportedly affected² by the condition.

What is frontotemporal dementia?

Frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, is a rare disease that affects parts of the brain controlling behavior and language. These parts of the brain shrink as the disease gets worse.

FTD usually can affect people in their 40s through their early 60s. It can change a person's personality, causing a loss of control or wild behavior. It is sometimes mistaken for mental health disorders⁴ like depression or bipolar disorder³. It can take years for doctors to diagnose the condition.

Brenda Rapp is a scientist at Johns Hopkins University. Rapp described signs of the disease this way: "Maybe you're doing things that are bothering people and you don't really understand why they're bothering people."

The disease is linked to primary progressive aphasia⁵, which is a condition affecting a person's ability to communicate. A person with this sort of FTD may have trouble finding words or understanding speech.

What causes FTD?

Damage to neurons, the brain's information carriers, is believed to be part of the problem but the root reasons for a case are often unclear. People with a family history of the condition are more likely to develop it. But most people with FTD have no family history of dementia.

Can FTD be treated?

There is no cure for FTD, but there are different ways to try to deal with it. People might get speech therapy if they have the kind that affects language. They might get physical therapy to improve movement.

Some patients receive antidepressants or drugs for Parkinson's, a nervous system disease, which has some of the same symptoms as FTD.

How fast does FTD progress?

FTD can be a long illness, lasting⁶ two to 10 years. People with FTD will need caregiving or nursing support as their symptoms get worse.

"The disease will spread throughout the brain," Rapp said. "The rate at which it does that is extremely unpredictable. So, it's very hard to know...how quickly someone will deteriorate⁷."

The financial costs for a family can be high. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that it costs $10,000 a year, on average, in the United States for health and long-term care for a person with dementia.

Words in This Story

host – n. a person who talks to guests on a television or radio show

personality – n. the set of emotional qualities or ways of behaving that makes a person different from other people

therapy – n. the treatment of physical or mental illnesses

symptom – n. a change in the body or mind which shows that a disease is present

deteriorate – v. to become worse as time passes

1 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

4 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 aphasia   

n.失语症

参考例句：

• Unfortunately,he suffered from sudden onset of aphasia one week later.不幸的是，他术后一星期突然出现失语症。
• My wife is in B-four,stroke and aphasia.我的妻子住在B-4房间，患的是中风和失语症。

6 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

7 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。