Welcome

The Association for Frontotemporal Dementias is the place to turn for accurate information, compassion and hope when lives are touched by frontotemporal dementias. FTD, also called frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), is a cluster of progressive diseases that affect the regions of the brain that control personality, behavior, language, and decision-making.

If you are new to AFTD, it is helpful to begin with the overview and pages for those facing a new diagnosis.

Features

Las V egas Area Support Group to Begin Meeting August 11
A caregiver support group that is forming in the Las Vegas area will begin meeting on Wednesday, August 11. The group will continue to meet on the second Wednesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the community room of Glazier’s at the Desert Marketplace, 8525 West Warm Springs Road, Las Vegas. It is being led by Lisa Radin, a founding member of AFTD and co-editor with son Gary of What If It’s Not Alzheimer’s? A Caregiver’s Guide to Dementia. Before attending, please email Lisa at lradin@iglide.net or call the Alzheimer’s Associaton, Desert Soutwest Chapter – Southern Nevada Region, at 702-248-2770.

NPR Member Station Reports on Dementia That’s Neither Alzheimer’s Nor Easy
Howard Rosen, M.D., a member of the AFTD Medical Advisory Council, was interviewed by Peter O’Dowd of NPR member station KJZZ in Phoenix for a report on frontotemporal dementias. The story, which aired July 6, 2010, included interviews with caregivers from a Phoenix-area support group. Dr. Rosen is a neurologist at University of California, San Francisco.

Scientists Invited to Research FTD Biomarkers
The search for FTD specific biomarkers is the focus of the AFTD/ADDF 2010 Drug Discovery Request for Proposals. The grant process challenges scientists to advance the ability to identify the pathological differences among the FTD syndromes that are needed to select patients for clinical trials. Proposals are due September 9, 2010.