Language, behavior problems are first signs of frontotemporal dementia
Memory disorder can be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease, says UCI Health neurologist
IN THE NEWS: Frontotemporal dementia is less recognized than Alzheimer’s, but it affects 50,000 to 60,000 Americans, contributing to about 12% of all dementia cases, according to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
UCI Health neurologist Dr. S. Ahmad Sajjadi spoke to AARP Magazine about the challenges of diagnosing the condition.
“Frontotemporal dementia typically presents as either progressive problems of language or abnormal behavior. Since both presentations can also infrequently happen in the context of Alzheimer’s disease, there is a chance for misdiagnosis.”
Sajjadi specializes in memory disorders. His clinical interests include Alzheimer’s disease and atypical forms of dementia. As an associate professor of neurology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, his research focuses on neurodegenerative pathologies across the aging spectrum, Alzheimer's disease, primary progressive aphasia, frontotemporal dementia and dementia in the oldest adults.
He is the recipient of multiple National Institutes of Health grants and the author of numerous studies that have appeared in prominent medical journals. He is also the recipient of the inaugural UCI Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND) Joan and Don Beall Scholar Award.
About UCI Health
UCI Health is one of California’s largest academic health systems and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Established on July 1, 1976, UCI Health has grown into a 1,461-bed health system that includes UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Irvine, four Community Network hospitals and a growing network of ambulatory care centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. As Orange County’s only academic health systems, UCI Health is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in the county, the region’s only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, American College of Emergency Physicians Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and a nationally recognized regional burn center verified by the American Burn Association. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people across Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County through excellence in patient care, research and medical education. Follow UCI Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.