Dementia in people under 60 often overlooked

Neurologists in New York must consider symptoms and neural imagining in order to accurately diagnose dementia diseases. Alzheimer's disease is often presumed to be present in people exhibiting changes in behavior, language, motor skills and personality, but frontotemporal lobar degeneration and primary progressive aphasias represent two diseases that could also cause these problems.

About 10 percent of dementia cases arise from FTLD, but a chance exists that some people will be misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. FTLD might be a much more likely diagnosis for a person under 60 with emerging neurological difficulties because it tends to strike earlier than Alzheimer's disease. A clinical assistant professor of neurology and neurological sciences said that clinicians might be unaware of FTLD and assume that someone under age 60 would not have dementia. Symptoms for FTLD, however, commonly emerge between the ages of 50 and 60.

A clinical associate professor of neurology and psychiatry added that patients with FTLD might even be misdiagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Another physician noted that brain scans provide important evidence when determining an FTLD diagnosis.

When a person does not get the right diagnosis, treatment options that might have provided relief could go unused. Someone who suspects that a delayed diagnosis or negligent medical treatment reduced chances for recovery or worsened the medical problem might want to know if damages could be collected with a lawsuit. An attorney who has experience in medical malpractice litigatio could evaluate the case. Outside medical experts could be brought in to review medical records. If their opinionsindicates that a health care provider failed to meet the requisite standard of care, then a lawsuit might be advisable.