A smartphone app could offer significant advantages in the fight against frontotemporal dementia.
A new smartphone app shows promise in the fight against frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The disease is caused by the breakdown of nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, where areas related to personality, behavior and language are located. With the application developed by UC San Francisco, there is a great advantage in diagnosing and monitoring the risk of FTD.
Remote detection with the app
FTD is known to be a challenging disorder for both patients and researchers. FTD symptoms can often be confused with psychiatric illnesses. Without the availability or use of sensitive diagnostic tools, treatment can be delayed and even if treatment is initiated, it can be ineffective. With the new application, FTD can be diagnosed earlier and monitored more closely.
The app includes cognitive tests that can be completed remotely. This allows more people to participate in clinical trials. Through these tests, the disease can be detected in people who are genetically predisposed to the disease before symptoms even appear. Dr. Adam Staffaroni, the lead author of the study, says that the application could replace face-to-face clinic visits in the future.
According to the World Health Organization, 55 million people worldwide struggle with dementia. FTD is the main cause of dementia in patients under the age of 60. Up to 30 percent of these patients have to struggle with FTD due to genetic reasons. Symptoms of the disease include personality change, difficulty speaking, movement and behavior. The application, which collects a large number of data such as voice recordings and body movements, shows promise in trials with 360 people.
The research was published in JAMA Network Open.
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