Table 2 Summary of various frontotemporal dementia treatment studies

SSRI's

Swartz et al 1997: 11 patients; open-label (sertraline, paroxetine, fluoxetine)

9/11 had behavioral improvement

Diarrhea (1/11) Increased anxiety (1/11)

Moretti et al 2003: 8 patients; open-label (paroxetine)

Behavioral improvement Reduced caregiver burden

Transient nausea (37.5%)

Deakin et al 2004: 10 patients; RCT^a (paroxetine)

No improvement in NPI^b or CBI^c scores Impairment seen on learning tasks/recognition tasks

None reported

Ikeda et al 2004: 16 patients; open-label (fluvoxamine)

Behavioral improvement Decreased stereotypes

None reported

Trazodone

Lebert et al 1999: 14 patients; open-label

Improvement in delusions, irritability, aggression, disinhibition (dose-dependent)

None reported

Lebert et al 2004: 26 patients; randomized controlled trial

Improvement in irritability, agitation, depression, eating disorders

None reported

Lebert et al 2006: 26 patients; open-label extension of 2004 RCT

Improved behavioral symptoms; improved NPI score

Hypotension (15%)

Antipsychotics

Curtis et al 2000: 1 patient; case report (risperidone)

Improved psychosis and social interactions

Akathisia Mild parkinsonism

Pijnenburg et al 2003: 24 patients; retrospective chart review (majority of patients given typical antipsychotics)

Not reported

Extrapyramidal symptoms (33%) Sedation (12.5%)

Others

Moretti et al 2004: 20 patients; open-label (rivastigmine)

Improved behavioral symptoms Reduced caregiver burden No change in MMSE^d score

Nausea (25%) Muscle cramps (20%) Blood pressure changes (15%)

Goforth et al 2004: 1 patient; case report (methylphenidate)

Improved behavioral symptoms

None reported