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Behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia: diagnosis, clinical staging, and management
Piguet O, Hornberger M, Mioshi E, Hodges JR.. The Lancet. Neurology, 2010-12-10
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Patients with behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) present with insidious changes in personality and interpersonal conduct that indicate progressive disintegration of the neural circuits involved in social cognition, emotion regulation, motivation, and decision making. The underlying pathological changes are heterogeneous and are characterised by various intraneuronal inclusions. Biomarkers to detect these histopathological changes in life are becoming increasingly important with the development of disease-modifying drugs. Gene mutations have been found that collectively account for around 10-20% of cases. Recently, criteria proposed for bvFTD define three levels of diagnostic certainty: possible, probable, and definite. Detailed history taking from family members to elicit behavioural features underpins the diagnostic process, with support from neuropsychological testing designed to detect impairment in decision making, emotion processing, and social cognition. Brain imaging is important for increasing the level of diagnostic certainty. A recently developed staging instrument shows much promise for monitoring patients and evaluating therapies, which at present are aimed at symptom amelioration. Carer education and support remain of paramount importance.
Key findings
- Recently, criteria proposed for bvFTD define three levels of diagnostic certainty: possible, probable, and definite.
- Detailed history taking from family members to elicit behavioural features underpins the diagnostic process, with support from neuropsychological testing designed to detect impairment in decision making, emotion processing, and social cognition.
- Brain imaging is important for increasing the level of diagnostic certainty.
- A recently developed staging instrument shows much promise for monitoring patients and evaluating therapies, which at present are aimed at symptom amelioration.
- Carer education and support remain of paramount importance.
Why it matters
This review describes how behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia is diagnosed and staged, noting that current therapies are aimed at symptom relief. It does not report a treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (The Lancet. Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The Lancet Neurology: journal h-index 457 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2011 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 499 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 29.4 citations a year over 17 year(s) since 2011 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 22.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 16 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 57 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author John R. Hodges: h-index 99 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Neuroscience Research Australia: institution h-index 372 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 21147039) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(10)70299-4
- PubMed: 21147039
- Original source →
- Free full text: UNSWorks (UNSW Sydney) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Piguet, O., Hornberger, M., Mioshi, E., & Hodges, JR. (2011). Behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia: diagnosis, clinical staging, and management. The Lancet. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(10)70299-4
Vancouver
Piguet O, Hornberger M, Mioshi E, Hodges JR. Behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia: diagnosis, clinical staging, and management. The Lancet. Neurology. 2011. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(10)70299-4. PMID: 21147039.
BibTeX
@article{piguet2011-21147039,
author = {Piguet, O. and Hornberger, M. and Mioshi, E. and Hodges, JR.},
title = {{Behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia: diagnosis, clinical staging, and management}},
journal = {The Lancet. Neurology},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1016/s1474-4422(10)70299-4},
pmid = {21147039},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(10)70299-4}
}
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