A Five-Year Clinical Course of Potential Phenocopy Syndrome of Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Frontotemporal dementia is a neurocognitive disorder that affects language, behavior, or executive functioning. This disease includes a spectrum of presentations that includes multiple variants. The phenocopy syndrome of the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia mimics the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia. Patients with this condition show a decline in personality, social conduct, and cognitive ability but often display no signs of neurological imaging and exhibit slow progression. This case focuses on a now 70-year-old male who has shown signs of behavioral changes with a slowly progressive clinical course and minimal findings on positron emission tomography (PET) scan, but moderate changes seen on MRI. This report details a clinical presentation of an individual potentially with phenocopy syndrome of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and provides context to how symptoms can be managed to better help assist patients and their caregivers.