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However, differentiating between Alzheimers disease and frontotemporal dementia can be challenging, expert have revealed. <\/p>\n
Now a study has revealed a procedure called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) could help determine which dementia a patient is suffering from. <\/p>\n
It can even help spot signs of Alzheimers disease. <\/p>\n
TMS therapy is carried out with a large electromagnetic coil place against the scalp, which carries electrical currents which stimulate nerve cells. <\/p>\n
Frontotemporal dementia is now thought to make up 10 to 15 per cent dementia cases. <\/p>\n
It is often diagnosed as a psychiatric problem, Alzheimers disease or Parkinsons because it causes behaviour changes and language issues. <\/p>\n
There is no cure for frontotemporal dementia, but diagnosing the disease could help patients manage symptoms and avoid unnecessary treatment. <\/p>\n
Making the correct diagnosis can be difficult, said study author Barbara Borroni, MD, of the University of Brescia in Brescia, Italy. <\/p>\n
Current methods can be expensive brain scans or invasive lumbar punctures involving a needle inserted in the spine, so its exciting that we may be able to make the diagnosis quickly and easily with this non-invasive procedure. <\/p>\n
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Alzheimer's and frontotemporal dementia could be differentiated <\/p>\n
Using TMS, researchers were able to measure the brains ability to conduct electrical signals among various circuits in the brain. <\/p>\n
They found that people with Alzheimers disease mainly had problems with one type of circuit, while people with frontotemporal dementia had problems with another type of circuit. <\/p>\n
Researchers were then able to accurately distinguish frontotemporal dementia from Alzheimers disease with 90 percent accuracy. <\/p>\n
It also differentiated Alzheimers disease from healthy brains with 87 percent accuracy and frontotemporal dementia from healthy brains with 86 percent accuracy. <\/p>\n
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The results were almost as good when researchers tested only people with mild forms of the disease. <\/p>\n
If our results can be replicated with larger studies, this will be very exciting, said Dr Borroni. <\/p>\n
Doctors might soon be able to quickly and easily diagnose frontotemporal dementia with this non-invasive procedure. <\/p>\n
This disease unfortunately cant be cured, but it can be managed especially if it is caught early. <\/p>\n
There are types of dementia, dementia with lewy bodies, which can cause memory problems and vascular dementia. <\/p>\n
This comes after the nine risk factors for dementia were revealed. <\/p>\n
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Dementia symptoms and Alzheimer's disease could be dignosed with new procedure - Express.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" GETTY However, differentiating between Alzheimers disease and frontotemporal dementia can be challenging, expert have revealed. Continue reading