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Clinical and metabolic profiles in behavioural frontotemporal dementia: Impact of age at onset
Mattia Losa, Sara Garbarino, A. Cirone, Lucia Argenti, Lorenzo Lombardo, Francesco Calizzano, Nicola Giovanni Girtler, Andrea Brugnolo et al.. Cortex, 2025-02-11
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder, with considerable variability of age-at-onset. We explored clinical and metabolic differences between early- and late-onset behavioural FTD (bvFTD), assuming that they might represent different disease phenotypes. We retrospectively studied consecutive patients diagnosed with prodromal or overt bvFTD with [ 18 F]FDG PET scan, neuropsychological assessment (NPS), and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) available at baseline. Patients were divided into three groups based on age-at-onset: early onset-bvFTD (EO-bvFTD, age 75). NPS and NPI were compared between groups and in the subset of prodromal patients, to study different syndromic phenotypes. Voxel-based analysis compared brain [ 18 F]FDG PET of EO-bvFTD, LO-bvFTD and vLO-bvFTD independently, with respect to healthy controls, to explore metabolic differences. An inter-regional metabolic covariance analysis was performed in frontal lobe subregions, to explore differences in brain connectivity. Moreover, we supported our result using a correlation-based approach on clinical and metabolic variables. 101 bvFTD (62 prodromal bvFTD) were enrolled (EO-bvFTD: n = 36, prodromal n = 21; LO-bvFTD: n = 36, prodromal: n = 22; vLO-bvFTD: n = 29, prodromal: n = 19). Greater verbal memory deficit was evident in LO-bvFTD and vLO-bvFTD compared to EO-bvFTD (immediate recall: p = .018; p = .024; delayed recall: both p = .001, respectively), with similar results in the subset of prodromal patients. EO-bvFTD and LO-bvFTD had a higher behavioural severity than vLO-bvFTD. LO-bvFTD and vLO-bvFTD showed more widespread relative hypometabolism, with a greater involvement of posterior, subcortical and temporo-limbic regions compared with EO-bvFTD. Moreover, vLO-bvFTD showed a different pattern of intrafrontal metabolic covariance compared to EO-bvFTD and LO-bvFTD. The cognitive–behavioural profile of bvFTD differs between early- and late-onset, already from the prodromal stage of the disease. Both metabolic pattern and functional connectivity vary based on age-at-onset. Understanding these differences could contribute to improve diagnostic accuracy and understanding the underling pathological heterogeneity.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Losa, M., Garbarino, S., Cirone, A., Argenti, L., Lombardo, L., Calizzano, F., et al. (2025). Clinical and metabolic profiles in behavioural frontotemporal dementia: Impact of age at onset. Cortex. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2025.01.011
Vancouver
Losa M, Garbarino S, Cirone A, Argenti L, Lombardo L, Calizzano F, et al. Clinical and metabolic profiles in behavioural frontotemporal dementia: Impact of age at onset. Cortex. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2025.01.011. PMID: 39999654.
BibTeX
@article{losa2025-39999654,
author = {Losa, Mattia and Garbarino, Sara and Cirone, A. and Argenti, Lucia and Lombardo, Lorenzo and Calizzano, Francesco and Girtler, Nicola Giovanni and Brugnolo, Andrea and others},
title = {{Clinical and metabolic profiles in behavioural frontotemporal dementia: Impact of age at onset}},
journal = {Cortex},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.cortex.2025.01.011},
pmid = {39999654},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2025.01.011}
}
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Key findings
- Moreover, we supported our result using a correlation-based approach on clinical and metabolic variables. 101 bvFTD (62 prodromal bvFTD) were enrolled (EO-bvFTD: n = 36, prodromal n = 21; LO-bvFTD: n = 36, prodromal: n = 22; vLO-bvFTD: n = 29, prodromal: n = 19).
- Greater verbal memory deficit was evident in LO-bvFTD and vLO-bvFTD compared to EO-bvFTD (immediate recall: p = .018; p = .024; delayed recall: both p = .001, respectively), with similar results in the subset of prodromal patients.
- LO-bvFTD and vLO-bvFTD showed more widespread relative hypometabolism, with a greater involvement of posterior, subcortical and temporo-limbic regions compared with EO-bvFTD.
- Moreover, vLO-bvFTD showed a different pattern of intrafrontal metabolic covariance compared to EO-bvFTD and LO-bvFTD.
Why it matters
This retrospective study found clinical and metabolic differences between early- and late-onset behavioral frontotemporal dementia, with greater verbal memory deficit in late-onset groups. It describes different disease phenotypes rather than testing any treatment or prevention.
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Study details
- Participants36
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Cortex) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Cortex: journal h-index 202 (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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 36 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Matteo Pardini: h-index 43 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Turin: institution h-index 903 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39999654) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
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