Defining different types of dementia

The University of Cincinnati's Russell Sawyer was featured in a Lake Charles, Louisiana television station KPLC story defining the differences between frontotemporal and alcohol-induced dementia following actor Bruce Willis and talk show host Wendy Williams publicly revealing dementia diagnoses over the past few years.

“It usually presents with changes in people’s personality and changes in language that affect people’s ability to both perform their jobs and eventually take care of themselves,” Sawyer, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Neurology & Rehabilitation Medicine in UC's College of Medicine and a UC Health physician, said of frontotemporal dementia.

Genetics may play a role for up to 40% of patients with frontotemporal dementia, he added. “Either gene therapy in which we change out the gene for a new functional gene or replacing the proteins that we’re missing" are potential treatments.

Alcohol-induced dementia is the direct effect of drinking too much for too long and is associated with memory loss, difficulty with problem-solving and impaired judgment.

“Two drinks per week over a one-year period of time was associated with both smaller brains, and more thinking and memory problems,” Sawyer explained.

Watch or read the KPLC story.

Featured photo at top of MRI brain scan. Photo/Ravenna Rutledge/UC Marketing + Brand.