Research lines on Frontotemporal Dementia

Although knowledge about frontotemporal dementia has grown considerably in recent decades, the causes of the vast majority of cases still remain unknown. There are currently multiple lines of research towards frontotemporal dementia that encompass the different phases of the disease.

• Studies of asymptomatic carriers of genetic mutations that cause frontotemporal dementia. The brain changes that are characteristic of frontotemporal dementia begin years before symptoms appear. Carriers of symptomless mutations that cause frontotemporal dementia allow the preclinical stages of the disease to be studied to find biomarkers for early diagnosis of the disease.
• Biomarker studies of patients with frontotemporal dementia. The diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia is currently primarily clinical, based on the symptoms and signs reported during the interview with the patient, their family and the doctor's examination. These symptoms, however, can easily be confused with those of other neurological or psychiatric diseases. For this reason, it is important to find biomarkers (biological changes in blood analyses, cerebrospinal fluid or brain imaging) to improve the diagnosis of patients with frontotemporal dementia.  
• Drug studies of patients with frontotemporal dementia. There are currently experimental studies with drugs in patients whose frontotemporal dementia is caused by mutations in the GRN gene, in charge of producing progranulin (a protein with an important role in cell survival).