What is frontotemporal dementia?

My husband is 58 and his personality has completely changed: he says inappropriate things, has lost empathy, and acts on impulse. I was told it's frontotemporal dementia. How can it be dementia if his memory is fine?

It is deeply painful to see the personality of someone we love transform, especially so early. Your perplexity is understandable — this type of dementia doesn't match what most of us imagine.

Why it happens

Frontotemporal dementia primarily affects the frontal and temporal areas of the brain, which are responsible for behaviour, personality, and language. This is why memory often remains relatively preserved in the early stages, while loss of empathy, impulsivity, disinhibition, or speech difficulties emerge. It tends to appear in people who are younger than those affected by other dementias.

Practical strategies

• Remember that behaviours are symptoms of the disease, not choices.
• Simplify the environment and avoid situations that trigger difficult impulses.
• Establish predictable routines.
• Seek support for yourself: this form is particularly emotionally draining.

What NOT to do

• Do not take inappropriate comments personally.
• Do not demand that he "control himself": the disease has affected this ability.

When to seek professional help

Diagnosis and follow-up are the responsibility of neurology or psychiatry. Given the often active age, it is worth inquiring about rights with the Social Security (300 502 502) and contacting Alzheimer Portugal for support and family groups.

"It was hard for me to accept that the man saying those things wasn't the man I married, but the disease speaking. That idea saved my sanity." — Anonymous Carer