has been diagnosed with a form of dementia, according to a statement released Thursday on behalf of her caretakers.
The 59-year-old former talk show host was diagnosed last year with with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia 鈥渁fter undergoing a battery of medical tests,鈥� according to the statement.
A look at the condition, which also affects .
WHAT IS FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA?
, or FTD, is a rare disease that affects parts of the brain controlling behavior and language. These parts of the brain shrink as the disease gets worse.
FTD usually occurs in people in their 40s, 50s and early 60s. It can affect a person鈥檚 personality, causing a loss of inhibition or inappropriate behavior. It is sometimes mistaken for depression or bipolar disorder, and can take years to diagnose.
鈥淚t's a really tough diagnosis, I have to tell you,鈥� said Johns Hopkins University cognitive scientist Brenda Rapp. 鈥淢aybe you鈥檙e doing things that are bothering people and you don鈥檛 really understand why they鈥檙e bothering people.鈥� That can be frustrating for everyone involved, Rapp said.
The disease often includes primary progressive aphasia, which means it's causing problems with language skills. A person with this type of FTD may have trouble finding words or understanding speech.
WHAT CAUSES FTD?
It鈥檚 caused by damage to neurons, the brain鈥檚 information carriers, but the underlying reasons for a particular case are often unclear. People with a family history of the condition are more likely to develop it. But most people with FTD have no family history of dementia.
CAN FTD BE TREATED?
There is no cure for FTD, but there are strategies for dealing with it. People might get speech therapy if they have the type that affects language. They might get physical therapy to improve movement.
Some patients receive antidepressants or drugs for Parkinson鈥檚, which has some overlapping symptoms with FTD.
HOW FAST DOES FTD PROGRESS?
FTD can be a long illness, lasting two to 10 years. People with FTD will need caregiving or nursing support as their symptoms get worse.
鈥淭he disease will spread throughout the brain,鈥� Rapp said. 鈥淭he rate at which it does that is extremely unpredictable. So it鈥檚 very hard to know ... how quickly someone will deteriorate.鈥�
The financial burden on families can be immense. The Alzheimer's Association estimates it costs $10,000 a year, on average, for the out-of-pocket health and long-term care for a person with dementia.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute鈥檚 Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Carla K. Johnson, The Associated Press
