Semantic dementia: aspects of the early diagnosis

S Belliard; C Merck; P Y Jonin; M Vérin

doi:10.1016/j.neurol.2013.07.007

Semantic dementia: aspects of the early diagnosis

Rev Neurol (Paris). 2013 Oct;169(10):806-10. doi: 10.1016/j.neurol.2013.07.007. Epub 2013 Sep 12.

Authors

S Belliard¹, C Merck, P Y Jonin, M Vérin

Affiliation

¹ Centre mémoire de ressource et de recherche, CHU de Rennes, site Hôtel Dieu, 2, rue de l'Hôtel-Dieu, 35064 Rennes cedex, France; Inserm-EPHE, unité U1077, université de Caen/Basse Normandie, GIP Cycéron, CHU, avenue de la Côte-de-Nacre, CS 30001, 14033 Caen cedex 9, France; Service de neurologie, CHU Pontchaillou, rue Henri-Le-Guilloux, 35033 Rennes cedex, France. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 24035592
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2013.07.007

Abstract

Semantic dementia is a lobar atrophy syndrome, related to a degeneration of anterior temporal regions, and characterized by a very predominant impairment of semantic memory. Whereas the diagnosis is relatively easy to establish in the typical form and if the patient is seen early, the emergence of possible additional cognitive or psycho-behavioural disorders can lead to a misdiagnosis in favour of a frontotemporal dementia syndrome or even probable Alzheimer's disease.

Keywords: Démence fronto-temporale; Démence sémantique; Frontotemporal dementia; Mémoire sémantique; Semantic dementia; Semantic memory.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Disease Progression
Early Diagnosis
Frontotemporal Dementia / complications
Frontotemporal Dementia / diagnosis*
Humans
Mental Disorders / diagnosis
Mental Disorders / etiology
Nerve Degeneration / diagnosis
Neuropsychological Tests*
Psychometrics / methods