According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it is caused by a group of disorders that gradually damage the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes. This damage causes changes in thinking and behaviors. Symptoms can include unusual behaviors, emotional problems, trouble communicating, challenges with work, and difficulty with walking.

There is no way to slow down or prevent FTD, but there are ways to help manage the symptoms, like maintaining a schedule, decreasing distractions, and changing the environment to help with behavioral issues. Other movement-related disorders include frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism and frontotemporal dementia with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD-ALS). Symptoms can vary among these movement disorders.

The underlying causes of frontotemporal dementia are not yet fully understood. People with FTD have abnormal amounts or forms of proteins called tau and TDP-43 inside nerve cells, or neurons, in their brain. The neurons die because the buildup of these proteins causes damage. In some. Learn more about how to help manage FTD symptoms.

There are several disorders that can result in frontotemporal dementia, all of which can affect middle-aged and older adults. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is the most common frontotemporal disorder. It causes changes in personality, behavior, emotions, and judgment.

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) involves changes in the ability to communicate — to speak, read, write, and understand what others are saying. Movement disorders happen when the parts of the brain that control movement are affected. There are two types of rare movement disorders associated with FTD: corticobasal syndrome and progressive supranuclear palsy. Other movement-related disorders include frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism and frontotemporal dementia with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD-ALS). Symptoms can vary among these movement disorders.

The signs and symptoms of frontotemporal dementia vary from person to person and the order in which they appear can also vary. Changes in the frontal lobe of the brain are generally associated with behavioral symptoms and may also lead to movement symptoms.

Changes in the temporal lobe generally lead to disorders of language and emotion. Symptoms of frontotemporal dementia and associated disorders may include: Decreased energy and motivation Lack of interest in others Inappropriate and impulsive behaviors Not acting considerate of others Repeating an activity or word over and over again.

 Changes in food preferences and compulsive eating Increased interest in sex.

Neglect of personal hygiene Emotional flatness or excessive emotions

Difficulty making or understanding speech Inability to make common motions, such as using a fork Problems with balance and walking Increased clumsiness

Slow movement, falling, body stiffness

Restricted eye movements Shaky hands Muscle weakness and loss, fine jerks, wiggling in muscles.

There is no cure for frontotemporal dementia and no way to slow down or prevent it. However, the NIH says there are ways to help manage symptoms:

Maintain a schedule, decrease distractions, and change the environment to help with behavioral issues. For example, if compulsive eating is an issue, consider limiting food choices, locking cabinets and the refrigerator, and distracting the person with other activities.

Try to recognize it’s the illness “talking” and accept rather than challenge people with behavioral symptoms. Arguing or reasoning will not help because they cannot control their behaviors or even see that they are unusual or upsetting to others.

Limit choices and offer specific choices, such as “Do you want to go to the park or for a walk?” rather than, “What do you want to do today?”

If you become frustrated, take a timeout — take deep breaths, count to 10, or leave the room for a few minutes.

To help with language issues, speak slowly and clearly, use simple sentences, wait for responses, and ask for clarification if you don’t understand something. An album of labeled photos of people and objects, gestures, and drawing may help communicate without talking. A speech-language pathologist can determine the best tools and strategies for a particular person.

Medications, such as antidepressants and antipsychotics, may help treat certain behavioral symptoms. There are also medications that may help with movement problems, and physical and occupational therapy may provide some relief.

Support groups can also be a valuable resource for people with frontotemporal dementias and their caregivers, allowing them to share experiences and tips with others who may be in the same situation. Nonprofit organizations and community organizations may provide online or in-person support groups.

If you have a family history or are concerned about symptoms of frontotemporal dementia, talk with your doctor. If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed, explore the resources on this website and linked below to find out more about the disease, care, support, and research.

For more information, click here to visit the website of the National Institute on Aging.

The researchers, professor Sofya Nartova-Bochaver of the Higher School of Economics in Russia and colleagues from universities in Armenia and China, conducted a comparative analysis of the psychological boundaries of individuals living in different countries. The study was published in Psychology in Russia.

Every day, people must defend their boundaries in relation to their own body, home, personal belongings, friends, tastes, and values. People whose boundaries are well defined in each of these areas are considered “sovereign individuals,” while those with poorly defined boundaries are referred to as “deprived.”

A person’s environment influences and helps form their personal sovereignty. Family members can either violate or strengthen personal boundaries. If a child is raised in a friendly family atmosphere and his wishes are respected and fulfilled, he does not require additional protection and his personal boundaries remain intact. The level of personal sovereignty reflects the extent to which a family is ready to respect the growing child’s needs.

Earlier studies have show that “personal sovereignty” helps you and adolescents adapt to the world.

Earlier empirical studies have shown that personal sovereignty helps youth and adolescents to adapt to the world. In particular, it has a positive effect on a person’s self-esteem, gives them greater confidence, and reduces anxiety.

Researchers have also found that personal sovereignty is more developed among men than women and is stronger among adolescents than youth. At the same time, young people’s inherent desire to defend their personal boundaries decreases as they grow older. Researchers attribute this to adults’ readiness to start a family and to share their personal space with others.

In order to understand how the culture of a particular society affects the formation of personal sovereignty, Nartova-Bochaver worked with colleagues from the State University of Yerevan and Xiamen University of China to conduct cross-cultural comparative research. In all, 780 people were surveyed: 361 men and 419 women, of whom 223 were from Armenia, 277 from China, and 280 from Russia. The respondents also belonged to two age groups: adolescents averaging 13 years of age and youth aged 21.

The study focused on Armenia, China, and Russia because the countries share a history of socialism and collectivism. At the same time, each country prioritizes a different set of values. Armenia places greater emphasis on such traditional values as religion and family, whereas Chinese and Russian societies share a more secular and rational outlook.

All respondents were asked to complete a questionnaire designed in 2010 specifically to determine the level of personal sovereignty. Participants either agreed or disagreed with 67 statements related to the six parameters of personal sovereignty. Each statement described a situation that the respondents might find unpleasant or provocative. For example: “Even as a child I was sure nobody touched my toys when I was absent,”or “I often felt offended when adults punished me with slapping and cuffing.”

The results indicate that the surrounding culture does not influence overall level of personal sovereignty. However, individual parameters varied widely between countries. For example, Chinese respondents were most apt to defend their tastes and values, Russians expressed the strongest sovereignty with regard to their bodies, and Armenians were the least concerned about belongings sovereignty.

By age group, youth had a higher level of personal sovereignty than adolescents did. This was reflected primarily in attitudes towards personal territory and time habits sovereignty.

The study found no significant gender based differences. However, women had more clearly defined psychological boundaries regarding their time habits and values, while men were more concerned with territory sovereignty.

When factoring for both gender and culture, researchers found that in Armenia and Russia, men were more adamant about their social contacts, while in China women exhibited these traits.

In terms of both age and culture, in Russia and China the level of personal sovereignty increases as people age, while in Armenia no such trend is evident.

When factoring for both gender and age, researchers found that both male and female adolescents defend their personal boundaries to an almost identical degree. As they mature, however, girls devote more attention to defending their value and belonging sovereignty whereas sovereignty in these areas declines in boys as they grow older.

You know – the ones who have 100 things to do and get them all done. We work hard and are totally  dedicated to fulfilling our marriage, parenting, career and friendship goals.

We’re superwomen. But there’s a problem.

On the upside it feels amazing to be successful and needed on all fronts. We have a great sense of identity, satisfaction and happiness. On the flip side many of us feel overworked, misunderstood and stressed.

Recognition is great, but the need for it can become a drug.

• Superwomen tend to strive for perfection in how they look, speak and work. They can be people-pleasers, too, always worrying about the other person’s happiness more than their own. The solution: learn to love yourself and to realize that you are valued as much for who you are as for what you do.
• Recognition is great, but the need for it can become a drug. The more you get, the more you want. Practice thinking well of yourself without seeking others’ approval. Be proud of who you are.
• Ask for help! Not many superwomen do this. They might not want to ask because of the fear that others can do it better than they can. Unfortunately, carrying a burden that’s way too heavy can lead to exhaustion and resentment. Start by asking for help in small matters, and work your way up to more major efforts.
• Don’t hesitate to say no. Superwomen often fear that they won’t be wanted or liked if they refuse a request. Learn to think of saying no as a way to share with the other person what you want or don’t want for yourself.
• Learn to express your vulnerability. Reveal your sadness, anger, fear and confusion. That doesn’t represent, as many worry, a loss of control. It’s a way to let people know you better and to understand and meet your needs.
• Take as well as give. Remember how good it feels to give, and let others have that same experience with you.

Superwomen love deeply, give generously and have a tremendous need for belonging and love. But they need to find the other side of themselves: to receive, follow and express their authentic feelings. Life will be much more fulfilling that way.

The study was conducted by Rotem Perach, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Kent’s School of Psychology, under the supervision of Dr Arnaud Wisman, shows that those with high levels of creative ambition and achievement are particularly likely to be more resilient to death concerns.

In what is thought to be the first empirical study of the anxiety-buffering functions of creativity among people for whom creativity constitutes a central part of their cultural worldview, the research analyzed findings from a group of 108 students.

The students completed two questionnaires to gauge their level of creative achievement and creative ambition. Those with a record of creative achievement, coupled to high levels of creative ambition, were found to make less death associations in their thought processes after thinking about their own demise in comparison to those in the control condition.

In comparison, among those with low levels of creative ambition – whatever their record of creative achievement – thinking about their own mortality did not affect their levels of death-thought accessibility in comparison to controls.

The findings suggest that those who pursue creativity and produce significant creative contributions may benefit from existential security in the face of death.

The findings were published in the Journal of Creative Behavior.

The finding was published in the journal Neuron.

“Rewards help you remember things, because you want future rewards,” said Professor Charan Ranganath, a UC Davis neuroscientist and senior author on the paper. “The brain prioritizes memories that are going to be useful for future decisions.”

It’s estimated that we retain detailed memories for only a small proportion of the events of each day, Ranganath said. People with very detailed memories become overwhelmed with information. So if the brain is going to filter information and decide what to remember, it makes sense to save those memories that might be most important for obtaining rewards in the future.

Ranganath and postdoctoral researcher Matthias Gruber put this to the test by scanning the brains of volunteers by functional magnetic resonance imaging as they answered simple yes-no questions on short series of objects — for example, “do these objects weigh more than a basketball?” Each series of objects was shown on a background image for context, and depending on the context, the volunteers were told they would either get a large (dollars) or small (cents) reward for giving correct answers. At the end of a series, participants were told how much money they just won.

Once participants completed this part of the experiment, the volunteers were scanned during a resting period. Afterward, outside of the scanner, there was a surprise memory test for all objects that were shown during scanning.

Although participants were not expecting the memory test outside the scanner, they were better at remembering objects that were associated with a high reward, said Gruber, first author of the paper.

“Also, when an object was associated with high reward, people remembered better the particular background scene that was on the screen during scanning,” Gruber said.

Even more interesting, participants’ memory performance was predicted by brain activity measured during rest. When the researchers looked at brain scans of subjects at rest after giving yes-no answers — neither learning nor actively recalling the memory — they found the same pattern of activity as when subjects were doing the high-reward task. The subjects were apparently replaying the rewarding memories, strengthening connections and helping to fix the memory in place.

Although this study did not measure it directly, these interactions were likely related to release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is released in the brain when we expect rewards. Conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or aging are linked to reduced dopamine and often involve memory defects.