Pick Disease of the Brain

Definition

Pick's disease is a rare and permanent form of dementia that is similar to Alzheimer's disease, except that it tends to affect only certain areas of the brain.

Alternative Names

Semantic dementia; Dementia - semantic; Frontotemporal dementia; Arnold Pick's disease

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

People with Pick's disease have abnormal substances (called Pick bodies and Pick cells) inside nerve cells in the damaged areas of the brain.

Pick bodies and Pick cells contain an abnormal form of a protein called tau. This protein is found in all nerve cells. But some people with Pick's disease have an abnormal amount or type of this protein.

The exact cause of the abnormal form of the protein is unknown. A gene for the disease has not yet been found. Most cases of Pick's disease are not passed down through families.

Pick's disease is rare. It is more common in women than men. It can occur in people as young as 20, but usually begins between ages 40 and 60. The average age at which it begins is 54.

Symptoms

The disease can get worse slowly. Tissues in the temporal and frontal lobes of the brain start to shrink over time. Symptoms such as behavior changes, speech difficulty, and impaired thinking occur slowly, but continue to get worse.

The early personality changes can help doctors tell Pick's disease apart from Alzheimer’s. Memory loss is often the main, and earliest, symptom of Alzheimer's.

People with Pick's disease tend to behave the wrong way in different social settings. The changes in behavior continue to get worse and are often one of the most disturbing symptoms of the disease. Some patients will have difficulty with language (trouble finding or understanding words or writing).

General symptoms are listed below.

Behavioral changes:

• Can't keep a job
• Compulsive behaviors
• Inappropriate behavior
• Inability to function or interact in social or personal situations
• Problems with personal hygiene
• Repetitive behavior
• Withdrawal from social interaction

Emotional changes:

• Abrupt mood changes
• Decreased interest in daily living activities
• Failure to recognize changes in behavior
• Failure to show emotional warmth, concern, empathy, sympathy
• Inappropriate mood
• Not caring about events or environment

Language changes:

• Can't speak (mutism)
• Decreased ability to read or write
• Difficulty finding a word
• Difficulty speaking or understanding speech (aphasia)
• Repeat anything spoken to them (echolalia)
• Shrinking vocabulary
• Weak, uncoordinated speech sounds

Neurological problems:

• Increased muscle tone (rigidity)
• Memory loss that gets worse
• Movement/coordination difficulties (apraxia)
• Weakness

Other problems:

• Urinary incontinence

Content
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Reviewer Info: Daniel Kantor, MD, Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, Neuroscience Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.; ADAM Health Illustrated Encyclopedia, 02/06/2008

This feature is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the care and information received from your healthcare provider. Please consult a healthcare professional with any health concerns you may have.