Measurements of the Amygdala and Hippocampus in Pathologically Confirmed Alzheimer Disease and Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration

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Abstract
In the elderly population, Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia.1 However, in patients presenting with dementia before age 65 years, the prevalence of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) approximates that of AD.2 Differentiating AD from FTLD is important because the prognoses and management of these diseases are different. A diagnosis of AD is suggested if memory decline is an early clinical feature, whereas prominent behavioral and language dysfunction suggests a diagnosis of FTLD. However, recent clinicopathological studies have identified cases of FTLD with prominent episodic memory loss,3 and a frontal presentation of AD has been described.4,5 The overlap in clinical features and diagnostic uncertainty, especially in the early stages, has led to interest in imaging studies to help differentiate FTLD from AD.6