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. 2016 Apr 10;11:595–605. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2016.03.019

Table 1.

Clinical details of phFTD and bvFTD patients included in the analyses. Described are the behavioral and cognitive profiles of phFTD patient at the time of inclusion, and those of bvFTD patients at the time of diagnosis. Also listed are basis of diagnosis, number of visits and follow up, and (decline) of functional status as assessed by asking patients and/or their caregivers about the patient's ability to perform (instrumental) activities of daily living (as detailed in the Methods).

Behavioral and cognitive profile Diagnosis based on Follow up Functional status
phFTD patients
1 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, loss of empathy
No progression for 4 years Clinical
 5 visits
 5 year FU
Neuropsychological
 4 visits
 4 year FU
Stable as reported by both patient and caregiver.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (3rd visit):
 Orientation to person, time, place: unimpaired
 Memory: average
 Language: below average to average
 Attention: average to poor
 Executive functions: average to poor
 Information processing speed: below average
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Social cognition: poor
 Conclusion: although the impairments listed above are suspect for FTD, the absence of evident cognitive decline and the long disease course render this diagnosis less likely.
2 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, apathy, compulsive behavior, hyperorality
No progression for 9 years Clinical
 9 visits
 9 years
Neuropsychological
 3 visits
 8.8 years
Stable as reported by both patient and caregiver.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (3rd visit):
 Orientation to person, time, place: unimpaired
 Memory: unimpaired
 Language: average to poor
 Attention: average to poor
 Executive functions: average to below average
 Information processing speed: below average
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Social cognition: poor
 Conclusion: although the impairments listed above and the clinical presentation are suspect for FTD, the patient's intact insight into his/her own functioning, the absence of any evident cognitive decline and the very long disease course render this diagnosis less likely.
3 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, loss of empathy, loss of insight
No progression for 1 year Clinical
 3 visits
 1 year
Neuropsychological
 2 visits
 1 year
Stable as reported by both patient and caregiver.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (2nd visit):
 Orientation to person, time, place: unimpaired
 Memory: highly variable (unimpaired to poor)
 Language: average to poor
 Attention: below average to poor
 Executive functions: average to poor
 Information processing speed: average
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Social cognition: poor
 Conclusion: compared to the previous neuropsychological evaluation there is no evident cognitive decline.
4 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, loss of insight
No progression for 5 years Clinical
 5 visits
 5 year
Neuropsychological
 3 visits
 4.8 years
Patient reports minor difficulties at work, but performs activities of daily living independently and has no difficulties operating appliances according to caregiver.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (3rd visit):
 Orientation to person and place: unimpaired; to time: sufficient
 Memory: unimpaired to below average
 Language: below to above average
 Attention: average to poor
 Executive functions: below average to poor
 Information processing speed: average to below average
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Social cognition: average
 Conclusion: although the impairments listed above and the clinical presentation as well as the cognitive decline reported by patient and caregiver are suspect for FTD, the absence of evident cognitive decline renders this diagnosis less likely.
5 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, apathy, loss of empathy
No progression for 6 years Clinical
 9 visits
 6 years
Neuropsychological
 5 visits
 5.9 years
Minor difficulties reported by patient at first and second visits which had stabilized or improved at later visits, e.g. disorientation while driving, but not anymore when driving using GPS navigation, confirmed by caregiver.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (5th visit):
 Orientation to person, time, place: unimpaired
 Memory: average
 Language: average
 Attention: average to above average
 Executive functions: above average
 Information processing speed: above average
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Social cognition: below average
 Conclusion: the results are similar to previous neuropsychological examinations. There are no indications for cognitive impairment.
6 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, apathy, loss of empathy
No progression for 1.2 years (slight functional decline but no clinical or cognitive deterioration). Clinical
 5 visits
 1.2 years
Neuropsychological
 2 visits
 1.2 years
Very slow progression but performs activities of daily living independently according to caregiver.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (2nd visit):
 Orientation to person, time, place: unimpaired
 Memory: average to poor
 Language: average
 Attention: below to above average
 Executive functions: average to poor
 Information processing speed: average
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Social cognition: below average
 Conclusion: although the impairments listed above and the clinical presentation are suspect for FTD, the patient's intact insight into his/her own functioning and the absence of any cognitive decline render this diagnosis less likely.
7 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, apathy, loss of empathy, hyperorality
No progression for 10 years Clinical
 9 visits
 10.1 years

Neuropsychological
 4 visits
 9.7 years
Activities of daily living are scarcely performed due to the patient's severe apathy according to caregiver.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (4th visit):
 Orientation to person, time, place: unimpaired
 Memory: average to poor
 Language: average to poor
 Attention: below average to poor
 Executive functions: average to poor
 Information processing speed: average
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Social cognition: poor
 Conclusion: although the impairments listed above and the clinical presentation as well as the cognitive decline reported by the caregiver are suspect for FTD, the absence of evident cognitive decline renders this diagnosis less likely.



bvFTD patients
1 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, loss of empathy
Clinical presentation as well as functional and cognitive decline Clinical
 2 visits
 1 year

Neuropsychological evaluation
 2 visits
 1 years
Functional decline reported by caregiver of several (instrumental) activities of daily living.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (2nd visit):
 Orientation to person and place: unimpaired; to time: impaired
 Memory: average to poor
 Language: below average
 Attention: poor
 Executive functions: average to poor
 Information processing speed: average
 Visuoconstructive ability: poor
 Conclusion: although previous neuropsychological evaluation did not provide any indication for a neurodegenerative disorder, the newly reported information by patient and caregiver and the cognitive decline substantiated by the current evaluation support the diagnosis of FTD.
2 Behavioral symptoms:
 Apathy, loss of empathy
Clinical presentation as well as functional and cognitive decline Clinical
 3 visits
 1.8 years

Neuropsychological evaluation
 2 visits
 1.3 years
Functional decline reported by patient and caregiver of several (instrumental) activities of daily living.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (2nd visit):
 Orientation to person, time, place: unimpaired
 Memory: above average to average
 Language: unimpaired to below average
 Attention: average to poor
 Executive functions: average to below average
 Information processing speed: below average
 Visuoconstructive ability: below average
 Conclusion: compared to the previous neuropsychological evaluation, memory remained intact, but there is cognitive decline specifically in the domains of attention and executive functioning, indicative of a dementia syndrome, most likely FTD.
3 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, apathy, loss of empathy, loss of insight, hyperorality
Clinical presentation, functional decline and cognitive impairment Clinical
 3 visits
 2 months

Neuropsychological evaluation
 1 visit
Functional decline reported by caregiver of several (instrumental) activities of daily living.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (1st visit):
 Orientation to person and time: unimpaired; to place: impaired
 Memory: below average to poor
 Language: poor
 Attention: average to poor
 Executive functions: poor
 Visuoconstructive ability: average
 Conclusion: the cognitive profile is indicative of dementia, clinically presenting as FTD.
4 Behavioral symptoms:
 Apathy, loss of empathy, compulsive behavior
Clinical presentation as well as and functional and cognitive decline Clinical
 3 visits
 1.3 years

Neuropsychological evaluation
 2 visits
 1.3 years
Progressive functional decline as reported by caregiver.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (2nd visit):
 Orientation to person, time, place: unimpaired
 Memory: poor
 Language: below average to poor
 Attention: average to poor
 Executive functions: unimpaired
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Information processing speed: below average
 Conclusion: the decline in the cognitive domains of langue, attention and information processing speed compared to the previous neuropsychological evaluation, as well as the current overall cognitive profile and clinical presentation are indicative of FTD.
5 Behavioral symptoms:
 Apathy, loss of insight, stereotyped and compulsive behavior, hyperorality
Clinical presentation as well as functional and cognitive decline Clinical
 4 visits
 2 years

Neuropsychological evaluation
 2 visits
 1.3 years
Progressive functional decline as reported by caregiver, eventual admission to nursing home.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (2nd visit):
 Orientation to person,: unimpaired; to time and place: impaired
 Memory: average to poor
 Language: average to poor
 Attention: below average to poor
 Executive functions: poor
Information processing speed: average
 Visuoconstructive ability: poor (due to executive dysfunction)
 Conclusion: the cognitive decline in domains of attention and executive functioning and impairment on other domains, combined with the clinical presentation fit the profile of bvFTD.
6 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, compulsive behavior, hyperorality
Clinical presentation as well as functional and cognitive impairment. Clinical
 6 visits
 2.4 years

Neuropsychological evaluation
 1 visit
Minor difficulties with operating appliances, grocery shopping, and laundry, as reported by caregiver.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (1st visit):
 Orientation to person, time, place: unimpaired
 Memory: unimpaired
 Language: below average to poor
 Attention: below average
 Executive functions: below average
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Conclusion: the mildly impaired attention and executive functions, combined with impaired language and intact memory and praxis, may be indicative of FTD
7 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, loss of empathy, compulsive behavior
Clinical presentation, functional decline and cognitive impairment. C9ORF72 mutation present. Clinical
 5 visits
 1.5 years

Neuropsychological evaluation
 1 visit
Progressive functional decline as reported by caregiver, eventual admission to day care (5 days a week).
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (1st visit):
 Orientation to person, time, place: unimpaired
 Memory: poor
 Language: below average to poor
 Attention: average to poor
 Executive functions: average
 Visuoconstructive ability: average
 Conclusion: the focal impairment in the language domain could possibly be attributed to logopenic progressive aphasia (LPA) but the absence of memory impairment and the prominent behavioral symptoms are not typical for LPA.
8 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, loss of empathy, loss of insight, stereotyped and compulsive behavior
Screened for MAPT mutation before the onset of symptoms because of positive family history. Clinical conversion to FTD confirmed 1.3 years later (based on clinical presentation, cognitive and functional decline). Clinical
 5 visits
 1.3 year

Neuropsychological evaluation
 2 visits
 1.4 year
Functional decline reported initially by patient and later by caregiver of several (instrumental) activities of daily living.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (2nd visit):
 Orientation to person, time, place: unimpaired
 Memory: average to below average
 Language: below average to poor
 Attention: unimpaired
 Executive functions: unimpaired to below average
 Information processing speed: unimpaired
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Social cognition: poor
 Conclusion: the cognitive profile of impairment in language, memory and social cognition, combined with the cognitive decline compared to the previous neuropsychological evaluation and clinical presentation, are compatible with (conversion to) bvFTD.
9 Behavioral symptoms:
 Behavioral disinhibition, apathy, loss of empathy, compulsive behavior
Clinical presentation as well as functional and cognitive decline. Clinical
 2 visits
 1 week

Neuropsychological
 1 visit.
 Test results of neuropsychological evaluation conducted 6 months earlier elsewhere were also available.
Functional decline of several (instrumental) activities of daily living decline reported by caregiver.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (1st visit, compared to neuropsychological exam performed elsewhere):
 Orientation to person and place: unimpaired; to time: sufficient
 Memory: highly variable (unimpaired to poor) average
 Language: highly variable (unimpaired to poor)
 Attention: unimpaired
 Executive functions: average to poor
 Information processing speed: below average
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Social cognition: poor
 Conclusion: the cognitive profile of impairment in language, memory and social cognition, combined with the cognitive decline compared to the previous neuropsychological evaluation [conducted elsewhere] and clinical presentation, are compatible with bvFTD.
10 Behavioral symptoms:
 Loss of empathy, loss of insight
Clinical presentation, cognitive impairment and functional decline. Clinical
 4 visits
 0.8 year

Neuropsychological
 Test results of neuropsychological evaluation conducted earlier elsewhere were available.
Performs activities of daily living independently but has progressive difficulties operating appliances and managing finances, as reported by caregiver.
Neuropsychological exam conducted elsewhere showed poor performance on multiple domains, particularly executive functioning and language
11 Behavioral symptoms:
 Apathy, loss of empathy
Screened for MAPT mutation when symptoms first manifested because of positive family history. Diagnosis based on mutation, clinical presentation, cognitive and functional decline. Clinical
 2 visits
 1 month

Neuropsychological
 Test results of two neuropsychological evaluations with 1.2 year interval conducted elsewhere were available.
Increasing interference with daily functioning, as reported by caregiver.
Neuropsychological evaluation per domain (2nd neuropsychological exam performed elsewhere):
 Orientation to person and place: unimpaired; to time: impaired
 Memory: poor
 Language: highly variable (unimpaired to poor)
 Attention: unimpaired
 Executive functions: below average to poor
 Information processing speed: below average
 Visuoconstructive ability: unimpaired
 Social cognition: poor
 Conclusion: compared to the previous evaluation there is a decline in orientation and language