Home › Research › How common it is
Incidence and Prevalence of Frontotemporal Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Urso D, Giannoni-Luza S, Brayne C, Ray N, Logroscino G. JAMA Neurology, 2025-11-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective To estimate the incidence and prevalence of frontotemporal dementia and its clinical variants in the overall population and age subgroups. Results From 1854 screened articles, 32 eligible population-based studies were identified. Conclusions and relevance In this systematic review and meta-analysis, estimates indicate that FTD is comparable in frequency to dementia with Lewy bodies and occurs at higher rates than progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal syndrome, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These results provide a foundation for future research and public health strategy, especially for underrepresented populations, to better comprehend the global burden of FTD. Our findings provide robust pooled estimates of the incidence and prevalence of FTD and its subtypes, offering a foundation for future research and public health planning.
Key findings
- Objective To estimate the incidence and prevalence of frontotemporal dementia and its clinical variants in the overall population and age subgroups.
- Results From 1854 screened articles, 32 eligible population-based studies were identified.
- Conclusions and relevance In this systematic review and meta-analysis, estimates indicate that FTD is comparable in frequency to dementia with Lewy bodies and occurs at higher rates than progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal syndrome, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
- These results provide a foundation for future research and public health strategy, especially for underrepresented populations, to better comprehend the global burden of FTD.
- Our findings provide robust pooled estimates of the incidence and prevalence of FTD and its subtypes, offering a foundation for future research and public health planning.
Why it matters
This review pooled 32 population-based studies to estimate how often frontotemporal dementia occurs. It found that FTD is comparable in frequency to dementia with Lewy bodies and more common than progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal syndrome, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which the authors say provides a foundation for future research and public health planning.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Alzheimer's in numbers →
Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Effect sizeFTD incidence 2.28 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 1.55-3.36); prevalence 9.17 per 100,000 (95% CI 3.59-23.42)
- Evidence strengthModerate
Limitations
Very high heterogeneity (I² above 90%) driven by differing case definitions and denominators; few studies outside Europe and North America; likely under-ascertainment of FTD in population studies.
How this study scored 67/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for sample size and studied in people because the record does not state it. We have no data on free to read, so that was left out: it earned 66 of the 98 points we could judge it on, which is 67 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (JAMA Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | JAMA Neurology: journal h-index 235 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” 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 | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| 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 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 36 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 12.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 21.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 33 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Giancarlo Logroscino: h-index 126 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Cambridge: institution h-index 1,973 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40920400) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 66 / 98 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 66 of the 98 points we could judge it on is 67 out of 100. |
| Total | 67 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.3307
- PubMed: 40920400
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
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
Urso, D., Giannoni-Luza, S., Brayne, C., Ray, N., & Logroscino, G. (2025). Incidence and Prevalence of Frontotemporal Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.3307
Vancouver
Urso D, Giannoni-Luza S, Brayne C, Ray N, Logroscino G. Incidence and Prevalence of Frontotemporal Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Neurology. 2025. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.3307. PMID: 40920400.
BibTeX
@article{urso2025-40920400,
author = {Urso, D. and Giannoni-Luza, S. and Brayne, C. and Ray, N. and Logroscino, G.},
title = {{Incidence and Prevalence of Frontotemporal Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis}},
journal = {JAMA Neurology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.3307},
pmid = {40920400},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.3307}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 13.
Later studies that cite this one
2 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in How common it is
Also tagged “prevalence”
1,224 studies in the library carry the topic tag “prevalence”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,224 tagged studies.