Dementia Linked to Abnormal Eating Habits

Different types of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) cause different types of inappropriate eating habits, according to a recent study.

It’s common for patients with cognition disorders to develop abnormal eating habits, but researchers wanted to examine whether specific eating habits were associated with various cognition disorders.
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To conduct their study, researchers followed 19 patients with FTD, 15 with semantic dementia, 15 with Alzheimer disease, and 25 healthy control participants from November 2013 to May 2015.

Researchers recorded participants’ total caloric intake and food preferences at a breakfast buffet—the breakfast was preceded by an overnight fast and was a half-hour long. Researchers also administered questionnaires to gauge participants’ appetite and eating habits.

After analyzing the amount of food consumed and the types of food consumed at the breakfast, researchers found that the FTD group consumed more than double the amount of total mean calories than a healthy participant. On the other hand, the semantic dementia group refused to eat the food at the buffet or ate very little.

In addition, both the FTD and semantic dementia groups strongly preferred sugary foods.

 “Differing neural networks control eating behavior in patients with FTD and semantic dementia and are likely responsible for the differences seen, with a similar network controlling sucrose preference,” researchers concluded.

“Delineating the neural networks involved in mediating these changes in eating behavior may enable treatment of these features in patients with complex medical needs and aid in our understanding of structures that control eating behavior in patients with FTD and healthy individuals.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Ahmed RM, Irish M, Henning E, et al. Assessment of eating behavior disturbance and associated neural networks in frontotemporal dementia. JAMA Neurol. Published online before print January 25, 2016. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.4478.