Citation

Alberici A, Cottini E, Cosseddu M, Borroni B, Padovani A. Alzheimer Dis. Assoc. Disord. 2012; 26(2): 194-196.

Affiliation

Department of Neurology, University of Brescia, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/WAD.0b013e3182223254

PMID

21666430

Abstract

Suicide is difficult to ascertain in elderly patients, and dementia might represent a risk factor, though predictors of suicide in dementia are still unknown. We report the case of a patient recently diagnosed as having a behavioral variant of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), apathetic syndrome, who committed suicide by hanging. His personal and family history was negative for mental disorders; a depressive syndrome was diagnosed 1 year before FTLD diagnosis, and treated unsuccessfully. To the best of our knowledge, no data are available about self-harmful events in FTLD. This case report argues for the urgent need for developing specific tools for the assessment of suicidal ideation among at-risk population.

Language: en