Differentiating features of major psychiatric illnesses that herald frontotemporal dementia

Abstract

Background: There is considerable heterogeneity of clinical phenotype in younger onset dementia, including initial presentations with major psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Of the younger onset dementias, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the most likely to present with a psychiatric illness. Objectives: To examine aspects of clinical presentation and investigations that may assist the general psychiatrist in the differentiation of psychiatric illness from FTD, including the overlap with psychiatric illness and symptoms, and the utility of investigations, imaging and cognitive screening. Methods: Retrospective review of 2794 inpatient discharge summaries from a..