The Alzheimer's Society has identified sudden cravings for sweet, fatty foods or carbohydrates as a potential early indicator of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a progressive brain disorder. This symptom often emerges alongside other behavioral changes, such as loss of inhibition and forgetfulness of table manners.
Understanding Frontotemporal Dementia
FTD primarily damages the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, leading to alterations in personality, behavior, and language. Unlike Alzheimer's disease, FTD tends to occur at a younger age. The Alzheimer's Society explains: "Its symptoms depend on which areas of the frontal and temporal lobes are damaged. As with most forms of dementia, FTD is progressive. This means its symptoms may be mild at first, but they will get worse over time."
In the early stage, behavioral variant FTD mainly causes changes in personality and behavior, affecting mood and the ability to think things through properly. One significant indicator is a loss of inhibition and an inability to recognize appropriate conduct during mealtimes. Affected individuals may crave sweet, fatty foods or carbohydrates, forget table manners, and no longer know when to stop eating, drinking alcohol, or smoking.
Recognizing Behavioral Changes
The Mana Medical Associates notes that changes in eating behavior can alert family members to possible concerns about aging loved ones. This is particularly useful with FTD, which often comes on earlier than Alzheimer's disease. Since symptoms are different and less familiar, people may miss early signs. Individuals who begin to gorge on sweets uncontrollably should talk with their family doctor about this change. While they may think they need more willpower, this new behavior can actually be a sign of underlying disease.
Other symptoms of behavioral variant FTD include difficulty focusing and becoming easily distracted, trouble planning, organizing, and making decisions (often first noticed at work or with money), socially inappropriate behavior (e.g., making insensitive comments, sexual gestures in public, or verbal/physical aggression), loss of empathy, reduced motivation, loss of humor, repetitive or obsessive behaviors, and new, sometimes obsessive interests.
Impact on Daily Life
FTD can also affect how responsive someone is to physical or environmental stimuli, including temperature, sounds, and pain. The Alzheimer's Society adds: "Most people with behavioral variant FTD are not fully aware of their symptoms. Instead, these changes are often first noticed by the people who are closest to them." Consequently, individuals rarely seek medical help and may refuse if others suggest it, leading to long delays in accurate diagnosis.
The society warns that the person may also have problems taking medication or attending therapy sessions if unaware of their condition. Driving can become a difficult issue if they do not see a need to stop. For more information on frontotemporal dementia, consult the Alzheimer's Society.
