Clinical Description
CHMP2B frontotemporal dementia (CHMP2B-FTD) is an early-onset dementia affecting primarily frontal lobe functions. CHMP2B-FTD typically starts with subtle personality changes, behavioral changes, dyscalculia, and a dysexecutive syndrome [Stokholm et al 2013].
To date, CHMP2B-FTD has been described in a family that originates and resides in western Jutland, Denmark. The first description of this family was by Gydesen et al [1987]. CHMP2B-FTD has also been described in an affected individual with familial FTD from Belgium [van der Zee et al 2008]. In addition, one individual from the United Kingdom with FTD and no clear family history was reported to have a CHMP2B missense variant [Skibinski et al 2005].
Symptoms usually start between ages 46 and 70 years, with an average age of onset of 57 years. Disease duration is from three to more than 20 years. The disease progresses over a few years into profound dementia with mutism [Gydesen et al 2002, Brown et al 2004].
Behavioral changes. Disinhibition or loss of initiative is the most common presenting symptom. Affected individuals lose interest in their environment and neglect personal hygiene. The manifestations may vary from very disinhibited to very apathetic. Affected individuals may show inappropriate emotional responses and a lack of empathy. Hyperorality is common including overeating sweet foods and chain smoking. Restlessness is common. Aggressiveness and hypersexuality have been described. Lack of insight into illness is common. Stereotypic speech, pacing activity, and stereotypic behavioral routines are frequent [Gydesen et al 2002, Brown et al 2004].
Psychiatric symptoms. Psychotic symptoms are unusual, but it is difficult to determine if a very disinhibited person is psychotic. Some individuals develop depressive symptoms early in the illness; they are typically mild. Manic syndromes have been observed in a few individuals.
Cognitive decline. Loss of executive function is a common early feature, as is dyscalculia and language impairment. Spontaneous speech declines, although repetition and reading from a text is relatively preserved. Perseveration, repetitive utterances, and echolalia are common. Affected individuals develop a nonfluent aphasia and then often become mute. Memory can be spared until late in the illness. Route finding and other visuospatial problems are unusual. Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) scores are relatively preserved early in the disease, followed by a sharp decline with worsening aphasia [Gydesen et al 2002, Brown et al 2004, Stokholm et al 2013].
Extrapyramidal signs. Four years into the illness, several individuals have developed a striking motor syndrome that develops into an asymmetric akinetic rigid syndrome with arm and gait dystonia and pyramidal signs. This syndrome may be related to treatment with neuroleptic drugs [Gydesen et al 2002, Brown et al 2004]. Akinetic mutism has been observed in late stages of disease.
Epilepsy. Generalized tonic-clonic epileptic seizures are rare in individuals with CHMP2B-FTD.
Motor neuron disease. Severe motor neuron disease has not been described in individuals with CHMP2B-FTD; however, signs of lower motor neuron dysfunction (e.g., fasciculations) can be seen in the tongue or thigh muscles.
Neuropathology. Macroscopic examinations find severe generalized atrophy with an asymmetric and frontal preponderance; brain weight is below 1000 g [Holm et al 2007].
Microscopic analysis reveals neuronal loss, gliosis, and spongiosis in the superficial cortical layers.
Immunohistochemical analysis shows pathologic accumulation of p62-positive, ubiquitin-positive, TDP-43-negative, and FUS-negative cytoplasmic inclusions in the hippocampal dentate granule cells and in a few cortical neurons [Holm et al 2007, Holm et al 2009]. Consequently, the neuropathology is currently classified as frontotemporal lobar degeneration with inclusions positive for ubiquitin proteasome system markers [Mackenzie et al 2010, Mackenzie & Neumann 2016].
Nomenclature
CHMP2B-FTD was originally described as familial nonspecific dementia. Molecular genetic studies published by Brown et al [1995] demonstrated linkage of the disease-associated gene in the Danish family to the pericentromeric region of chromosome 3, leading to the designation chromosome 3-linked frontotemporal dementia (FTD3 or FTD-3).
Following identification of a causative pathogenic variant in CHMP2B [Skibinski et al 2005], FTD3 is referred to as CHMP2B-associated frontotemporal dementia, CHMP2B-mediated frontotemporal dementia, or now CHMP2B-FTD.