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Executive function in progressive and nonprogressive behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia
Hornberger M, Piguet O, Kipps C, Hodges JR.. Neurology, 2008-11-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Recent studies suggest that behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bv-FTD) patients differ in their prognosis with fast-progressing and very slow-progressing cases. We investigated executive and behavioral profiles of progressive and nonprogressive bv-FTD patients to establish diagnostic markers discriminating the two groups. Methods A range of neuropsychological and behavioral tests were used. Mean overlap-based statistical analyses and logistic regression analyses were performed to distinguish progressive from nonprogressive bv-FTD cases. Results Although progressors and nonprogressors showed similar behavioral profiles, they were distinguishable by their performance on executive tasks. The nonprogressors' performance on all tests was with the normal range, whereas the progressors were consistently impaired on four tests: Digit Span Backward, Hayling Test of inhibitory control, Letter Fluency, and Trails B. Logistic regression showed that 86% of patients could be classified on the basis of Digit Span and Hayling subscores. Conclusions Contrary to some prior reports, behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bv-FTD) patients who progress over time are typically impaired on executive tasks at first presentation, although an important minority of true FTD patients perform normally. Previous inconsistencies are explicable by the mixture of patients with progressing FTD and phenocopy cases.
Key findings
- Background Recent studies suggest that behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bv-FTD) patients differ in their prognosis with fast-progressing and very slow-progressing cases.
- Results Although progressors and nonprogressors showed similar behavioral profiles, they were distinguishable by their performance on executive tasks.
- Logistic regression showed that 86% of patients could be classified on the basis of Digit Span and Hayling subscores.
Why it matters
This study found that patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia who progressed over time were typically impaired on executive tasks at first presentation, while nonprogressors performed within the normal range. It may help distinguish these two groups, but it does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 48/100
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 (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (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 | 2008 — 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 151 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.5 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 13 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author John R. Hodges: h-index 107 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Oxford: institution h-index 2,205 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18981369) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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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
Hornberger, M., Piguet, O., Kipps, C., & Hodges, JR. (2008). Executive function in progressive and nonprogressive behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000334299.72023.c8
Vancouver
Hornberger M, Piguet O, Kipps C, Hodges JR. Executive function in progressive and nonprogressive behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. Neurology. 2008. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000334299.72023.c8. PMID: 18981369.
BibTeX
@article{hornberger2008-18981369,
author = {Hornberger, M. and Piguet, O. and Kipps, C. and Hodges, JR.},
title = {{Executive function in progressive and nonprogressive behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1212/01.wnl.0000334299.72023.c8},
pmid = {18981369},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000334299.72023.c8}
}
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