Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia and Social and Criminal Transgressions. 2022

Mario F Mendez
Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles; and Neurology Service, Neurobehavior Unit, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is associated with social and criminal transgressions; studies from countries around the world have documented such behavior in persons with this condition. An overview and analysis of social and criminal transgressions in bvFTD and their potential neurobiological mechanisms can provide a window for understanding the relationship of antisocial behavior and the brain. This review evaluated the literature on the frequency of social and criminal transgressions in bvFTD and the neurobiological disturbances that underlie them. There is a high frequency of transgressions among patients with bvFTD due to impairments in neurocognition, such as social perception, behavioral regulation, and theory of mind, and impairments in social emotions, such as self-conscious emotions and empathy. Additionally, there is significant evidence for a specific impairment in an innate sense of morality. Alterations in these neurobiological processes result from predominantly right-hemisphere pathology in frontal (ventromedial, orbitofrontal, inferolateral frontal), anterior temporal (amygdala, temporal pole), limbic (anterior cingulate, amygdala), and insular regions. Overlapping disturbances in neurocognition, social emotions, and moral reasoning result from disease in the mostly mesial and right-sided frontotemporal network necessary for responding emotionally to others and for behavioral control. With increased sophistication in neurobiological interventions, future goals may be the routine evaluation of these processes among individuals with bvFTD who engage in social and criminal transgressions and the targeting of these neurobiological mechanisms with behavioral, pharmacological, and other interventions.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008279 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques. Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D009483 Neuropsychological Tests Tests designed to assess neurological function associated with certain behaviors. They are used in diagnosing brain dysfunction or damage and central nervous system disorders or injury. Aphasia Tests,Cognitive Test,Cognitive Testing,Cognitive Tests,Memory for Designs Test,Neuropsychological Testing,AX-CPT,Behavioral Assessment of Dysexecutive Syndrome,CANTAB,Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery,Clock Test,Cognitive Function Scanner,Continuous Performance Task,Controlled Oral Word Association Test,Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System,Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment,Hooper Visual Organization Test,NEPSY,Neuropsychologic Tests,Neuropsychological Test,Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test,Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status,Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure,Symbol Digit Modalities Test,Test of Everyday Attention,Test, Neuropsychological,Tests, Neuropsychological,Tower of London Test,Neuropsychologic Test,Test, Cognitive,Testing, Cognitive,Testing, Neuropsychological,Tests, Cognitive
D001921 Brain The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM. Encephalon
D004644 Emotions Those affective states which can be experienced and have arousing and motivational properties. Feelings,Regret,Emotion,Feeling,Regrets
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012938 Social Perception The perceiving of attributes, characteristics, and behaviors of one's associates or social groups. Perception, Social,Perceptions, Social,Social Perceptions
D057180 Frontotemporal Dementia The most common clinical form of FRONTOTEMPORAL LOBAR DEGENERATION, this dementia presents with personality and behavioral changes often associated with disinhibition, apathy, and lack of insight. DDPAC,Dementia, Frontotemporal,Dementia, Frontotemporal, with Parkinsonism,Dementia, Hereditary Dysphasic Disinhibition,Disinhibition-Dementia-Parkinsonism-Amyotrophy Complex,Disinhibition-Dementia-Parkinsonism-Amytrophy Complex,FTD-GRN,FTD-PGRN,FTDP-17,FTLD with TDP-43 Pathology,FTLD-17 GRN,FTLD-TDP,Familial Pick's Disease,Frontotemporal Dementia with Parkinsonism,Frontotemporal Dementia with Parkinsonism-17,Frontotemporal Dementia, Ubiquitin-Positive,Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration With Ubiquitin-Positive Inclusions,Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia,Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia (FLDEM),GRN-Related Frontotemporal Dementia,HDDD1,HDDD2,Hereditary Dysphasic Disinhibition Dementia,Multiple System Tauopathy with Presenile Dementia,Semantic Dementia,Wilhelmsen-Lynch Disease,Complex, Disinhibition-Dementia-Parkinsonism-Amyotrophy,Complex, Disinhibition-Dementia-Parkinsonism-Amytrophy,Complices, Disinhibition-Dementia-Parkinsonism-Amyotrophy,Complices, Disinhibition-Dementia-Parkinsonism-Amytrophy,Dementia, Frontotemporal Lobe,Dementia, Frontotemporal Lobe (FLDEM),Dementia, GRN-Related Frontotemporal,Dementia, Semantic,Dementia, Ubiquitin-Positive Frontotemporal,Dementias, Frontotemporal,Dementias, Frontotemporal Lobe,Dementias, Frontotemporal Lobe (FLDEM),Dementias, GRN-Related Frontotemporal,Dementias, Semantic,Dementias, Ubiquitin-Positive Frontotemporal,Disease, Familial Pick's,Disease, Wilhelmsen-Lynch,Diseases, Familial Pick's,Diseases, Wilhelmsen-Lynch,Disinhibition Dementia Parkinsonism Amyotrophy Complex,Disinhibition Dementia Parkinsonism Amytrophy Complex,Disinhibition-Dementia-Parkinsonism-Amyotrophy Complices,Disinhibition-Dementia-Parkinsonism-Amytrophy Complices,FTLD with TDP 43 Pathology,Familial Pick Disease,Familial Pick's Diseases,Familial Picks Disease,Frontotemporal Dementia with Parkinsonism 17,Frontotemporal Dementia, GRN-Related,Frontotemporal Dementia, Ubiquitin Positive,Frontotemporal Dementias,Frontotemporal Dementias, GRN-Related,Frontotemporal Dementias, Ubiquitin-Positive,Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration With Ubiquitin Positive Inclusions,Frontotemporal Lobe Dementias,Frontotemporal Lobe Dementias (FLDEM),GRN Related Frontotemporal Dementia,GRN-Related Frontotemporal Dementias,Lobe Dementia, Frontotemporal,Lobe Dementias, Frontotemporal,Pick's Disease, Familial,Pick's Diseases, Familial,Semantic Dementias,Ubiquitin-Positive Frontotemporal Dementia,Ubiquitin-Positive Frontotemporal Dementias,Wilhelmsen Lynch Disease,Wilhelmsen-Lynch Diseases
D057237 Criminals Persons who have committed a crime or have been convicted of a crime. Offenders,Criminal,Offender

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