Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is an umbrella term used to describe a group of younger onset neurodegenerative conditions with typically affects people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s.

• FTD affects both men and women.
• FTD is a neurodegenerative condition which means it gets worse over time.
• FTD mostly affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.
• FTD is not the same as Alzheimer’s disease.

Specific FTD subtypes include:

• Behavioural-variant Frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD)
• Semantic dementia (SD)
• Progressive non-fluent aphasia (PNFA)
• Logopenic Progressive Aphasia (LPA)

Individuals with FTD can also have parkinsonism and motor neuron disease.

More information about the specific FTD subtypes can be found here.

A glossary of common terms surrounding FTD can be found here.

FTD is estimated to be the second most common cause of dementia in younger people after young-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

For every 100,000 people, 10-15 of those over the age of 18 will be diagnosed with FTD.

To date, there have been no formal prevalence studies of FTD in Australia. There is limited research funding into the condition and how it affects Australians and their families.

There are limited specialists, FTD clinics, and FTD specific services in Australia compared with the US and Europe, which adds to the burden of Australians living with FTD.