FTD Explained to Africans: Causes and Types  I  Symptoms and Diagnosis  I  Treatment

 

Frontotemporal Dementia Explained To Africans: Treatment

By Oluwasola Samuel, freelance health writer. Medically reviewed by: A. Odutola, MB.BS., PhD, FRCSEd. 

 

Portrait of an elderly African man dressed in cultural attire with a black skull cap and sitting with both hand on a cane, against a brown background. In the foreground are the words of a caption: Frontotemporal Dementia: Treatment, in yellow colour framed in red outline. Image credit: Freepik

 

Key Points

• Frontotemporal dementia gets worse as time goes on, and there’s no cure yet for the condition. Some medications and therapies, like speech, occupational and physical therapies, can help manage symptoms.

• There are many challenges associated with the treatment of frontotemporal dementia in African countries. Most of these are associated with low awareness of the condition generally, cultural stigma, poor access to health services, skilled personnel shortages, low individual and public financing for health, etc.

• Early diagnosis, skilled treatment and social support produce the best outcomes. 

 

Introduction

The sad truth is that there are no known treatments for frontotemporal dementia. However, healthcare professionals focus on helping people with this condition navigate and manage symptoms to ensure an improved quality of life.

Dealing with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) can be tough, especially when it comes to managing behavioural symptoms like agitation or aggression. 

In this article, you will learn about the broad ways in which frontotemporal dementia is treated or managed and the challenges that providers, caregivers and patients living with the condition face. 

 

Treatment

The treatment of frontotemporal dementia can be classified into: 

• Medication  
• Non-medication
• Palliative care (Focused on improving quality of life) 

Medication Treatment 

While there aren’t many drug options, certain types of antidepressants called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) might help in some instances. [12] But before administering any medication, your healthcare professional will usually check if there’s something else triggering these symptoms, like pain, discomfort, or even the environment. Sometimes, small changes in surroundings or routine can make a big difference.

In more severe cases, doctors might consider antipsychotic drugs, but these are usually a last resort because of their serious side effects. [13, 14] They’re not for everyone, and if prescribed, they need close monitoring. The goal is always to improve quality of life while keeping risks low.

Non-medication Treatment

Your healthcare professional may also introduce non-drug approaches (aromatherapy or music therapy). This treatment is done for milder symptoms. These methods can be tailored to the person’s likes and interests to calm the person down. The goal is to create a calm and familiar atmosphere that naturally reduces stress and aggression.

Other non-medication therapy include:

Support groups - for connecting with others with the condition for shared experience.

Environmental modification - helps to assure safety from falls and independence for the patient.

Routine and Structured activities - Engaging the patient in structured activities and maintaining routine helps to minimize distress, uncertainty and agitation that is common in the condition.

Caregiver support - This is important as it provides caregivers of FTD patients, emotional anchor and relief from the many challenges they face in managing people with FTD. Without support, caregivers are likely to pass on their frustrations onto the patient or suffer burnout with consequences on the person being cared for.

Genetic Counselling - Where there is significant family history of FTD, it is appropriate to offer genetic testing and counselling. 

Palliative Care

Persons in the late stage of FTD may be offered palliative care for promotion of comfort, reduction of pain and suffering and basic care of symptoms. These help to improve quality of life of FTD patients.

 

Home Care of a Person with Frontotemporal Dementia

Caring for someone living with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) requires a tailored approach. As FTD affects behaviour, personality, language movements and memory; as a result, supportive care is needed.

Here’s how to provide effective home care:

• Manage behaviour & communication:

People with FTD often struggle with impulsivity, aggression, or social inappropriateness. Stay calm, avoid arguments, and use simple, reassuring language. Redirect their attention if they become agitated.

• Create a structured routine 

Predictability reduces confusion and frustration. Keep daily activities consistent and minimise changes in their environment.

• Focus on safety 

Since judgement is impaired, supervise risky activities (like driving or cooking) and remove hazards. Consider door alarms if wandering is an issue.

• Try non-drug therapies first 

You can try music, aromatherapy, or gentle exercise. These therapies can help improve mood and agitation.

• Support their emotional needs 

FTD can cause emotional detachment or a lack of empathy. Don’t take these changes personally because they’re part of the disease.

• Provide physical therapy 

Physical therapy is an important component of the care of someone with FTD. It helps to improve mobility, balance, gait, and other movement difficulties. It also helps to reduce the risk of falls which is very common in the condition. 

• Get professional help 

Work with a dementia care team (neurologist, therapist, support groups) to adjust care as symptoms change.

When caring for a person with FTD, it's important to be patient and have a well-laid structure and safety measures put in place. Adapt to their needs, not the other way around.

 

Is Frontotemporal Dementia Preventable?

There is no proven way to prevent frontotemporal dementia (FTD) at the moment as its root cause is unknown. However, if FTD runs in your family, your healthcare professional can help assess your level of risk. Staying mentally and socially active might support overall brain health, but there’s no guarantee it will stop FTD. 

Research is ongoing to find prevention approaches and possible specific treatment options. For now, early diagnosis and symptom management are the best approaches.

 

Challenges of Treatment 

Treating frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in sub-Saharan Africa comes with unique challenges. Let’s walk through some of the major ones, especially if you are living with this condition or caring for someone with the condition. This list isn’t to scare you, but to help you understand why it’s tough and what Africans and their governments can do together to change things.
 

• Poor awareness and misunderstanding

Many people in African communities have never heard of or know what FTD is. When someone begins to behave oddly or loses their ability to speak, it’s often linked to witchcraft, old age, or curses. Because of this, families might delay seeking medical help or never seek help at all. The earlier you notice any of the symptoms of FTD, the better you can manage them. This means if you fail to report a symptom early, it can make life harder for you and your loved ones.

• Limited access to specialists

FTD is a complex brain condition that requires a specialist doctors to identify it. In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, neurologists or psychiatrists (those trained to handle brain and behaviour disorders) are few and scarcely available in both urban and rural areas. Most people rely on general practitioners or traditional healers who might not recognise FTD.

• Cost of care and medication

Caring for someone with and form of dementia, including FTD, can be very expensive, especially when healthcare isn’t free or accessible. Medications that help with mood, behaviour, or sleep may not be available in many areas. Even where they are, they can be expensive.

• Lack of support services

In many African countries, care homes, support groups, or daycare centres for people with dementia are rare or nonexistent. So, many families bear the full burden of care with little or no experience on how to go about it. This leads to caregiver burnout and physical and emotional exhaustion from constant stress. When caregivers are exhausted, the person with dementia suffers too.

• Cultural stigma and isolation

Families may hide loved ones with dementia due to fear of gossip or shame. This isolation keeps people from getting the help and understanding they need. It can also affect the person’s mental health, especially if they feel left isolated from everyday life.

• Low priority in health policy

Diseases like malaria and HIV often take centre stage in government policies, and rightly so, since they affect millions. Because of this, conditions like FTD get little attention or funding. Without strong policies and funding, it’s hard to improve training, provide medications, or educate the public about the condition.

 

Conclusion

Frontotemporal dementia is a rare but complex brain disease that often goes unnoticed or misunderstood, especially in African communities. There is no specific treatment for FTD as medical, non-medical and palliative care are geared towards managing symptoms and improving the quality of life of patients. .

If you or someone you know is showing signs of frontotemporal dementia, don't wait. Talk to a healthcare professional, ask questions, and seek support. Raising awareness in African communities can help break the silence around brain health. Share this information to help others understand and act early.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What's the life expectancy of people with frontotemporal dementia?

The life expectancy for a person living with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is about 6 to 8 years after symptoms begin. However, this can vary because some people can live just 2-3 years, while others survive 10+ years. [15] This depends on factors like age, overall health, and symptom severity.

FTD progresses faster than Alzheimer’s. Complications like infections (e.g., pneumonia) or falls can contribute greatly to earlier death of a person living with FTD. [15]

 

2. How is frontotemporal dementia different from Alzheimer's disease?

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s disease are both types of dementia, but they affect the brain differently.

Here is how:  

• Brain Areas Affected: FTD mainly damages the frontal and temporal lobes, which control personality, behaviour, and language, while Alzheimer’s usually starts in memory-related areas like the hippocampus before spreading. [16]

• Early Symptoms: FTD often causes personality changes, impulsive behaviour, or speech problems first, while Alzheimer’s begins with memory loss (e.g., forgetting recent events).

• Age of Onset: FTD usually starts earlier (40s–60s) than Alzheimer’s, which is more common after age 65. [2] 

Frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s dementia worsen over time, but their early signs and progression differ. If you have any of these types of dementia, reach out to your healthcare provider for an immediate diagnosis.

 

References:

1. Velayutham SG, Chandra SR, Bharath S, Shankar RG. Quantitative balance and gait measurement in patients with frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study. Indian J Psychol Med.  2017;39(2):176–82. Available from here.

2. Mayo Clinic Frontotemporal dementia—symptoms and causes. [Internet]. 2023 Nov. 28.  [Cited 2025 Apr 20].Available from here.

3. Khan I, De Jesus O. Frontotemporal lobe dementia. Updated 2023 Aug. 23.In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing: 2025 [Cited 2025 Apr 20]. Available from here.

4. Chen X, Chen Y, Ni B, Huang C. Research trends and hotspots for frontotemporal dementia from 2000 to 2022: a bibliometric analysis. Front Neurol .2024 Jul 17,15:1399600. Available from here.

5. National Institute on Ageing. Frontotemporal disorders: causes, symptoms, and diagnosis.[Internet]. Reviewed 2025 Jan 22. [Cited 2025 Apr 20].  Available from here.

6. Tabeshmehr P, Eftekharpour E. Tau; One Protein, So Many Diseases. Biology (Basel). 2023 Feb 3;12(2):244. doi: 10.3390/biology12020244. Available from here.

7. De Boer EMJ, Orie VK, Williams T, Baker MR, De Oliveira HM, Polvikoski T, et al. TDP-43 proteinopathies: a new wave of neurodegenerative diseases. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2020 Nov 11;92(1):86–95. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-322983. Available from here.

8. Greaves CV, Rohrer JD. An update on genetic frontotemporal dementia. J Neurol, 2019 Aug;266(8):2075-2086. doi: 10.1007/s00415-019-09363-4.  Available from here.

9. Zamboni G, Maramotti R, Salemme S, Tondelli M, Adani G, Vinceti G, et al. Age-specific prevalence of the different clinical presentations of AD and FTD in young-onset dementia. J Neurol  2024 July 1;271(7):4326–35. doi: 10.1007/s00415-024-12364-7. Available from here.

10. Bipolar disorder - Symptoms and causes [Internet]. 2024 August 14. Mayo Clinic. [Cited 2025 Jul 5]. Available from here.

11. The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration. FTD researchers call for greater focus on diversity to address disparities in care and research. [Internet]. 2025 February 19. [Cited 2025 Jul 5]. Available from here.

12. Chu A, Wadhwa R. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [Cited 2025 Jul 5]. Available from here. 

13. Chokhawala K, Stevens L. Antipsychotic medications. [Last updated 2023 February 26]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [Cited 2025 Jul 5]. Available from here.

14. Stroup TS, Gray N. Management of common adverse effects of antipsychotic medications. World Psychiatry. 2018 Oct 17(3):341–56. doi: 10.1002/wps.20567. Available from here.

15. National Institute of Aging. Caring for a person with a frontotemporal disorder. [Internet]. Last review 2025 January 22. [Cited 2025 Jul 5]. Available from here.

16. Fogwe LA, Reddy V, Mesfin FB. Neuroanatomy, hippocampus. [Updated 2023 Jly 26]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [Cited 2025 Jul 5]. Available from here.

 

Related: 

• Dementia: What Africans Need to Know
• 10 Things Africans Should Be Doing To Lower Dementia Risk
• 15 Modifiable Risk Factors of Dementia Africans Need to Know
• Education, Wealth and Job Status Affect your Dementia odds; Study
• Alzheimer's disease: What Africans need to know
• Treatment of Alzheimer's disease
• Vascular Dementia Explained for Africans: Causes, Types and Stages
• Lewy Body Dementia: What Africans Need to Know

 

FTD Explained to Africans: Causes and Types  I  Symptoms and Diagnosis  I  Treatment

 

 

Published: July 14, 2025

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