High Risk of Suicide in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia. Issue 4 (June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zucca, Milena; Rubino, Elisa; Vacca, Alessandro; Govone, Flora; Gai, Annalisa; De Martino, Paola; Boschi, Silvia; Gentile, Salvatore; Giordana, Maria Teresa; Rainero, Innocenzo
• Is Part Of: American journal of Alzheimer's disease & other dementias. Volume 34:Issue 4(2019)
• Page Start: 265
• Page End: 271
• Publication Date: 2019-06
• Subjects: bvFTD -- frontotemporal dementia -- FTD -- suicide -- SSI -- parkinsonism; Alzheimer's disease -- Periodicals; Dementia -- Periodicals; Alzheimer's disease -- Patients -- Care -- United States -- Periodicals; 616.83
• DOI: 10.1177/1533317518817609
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1533-3175

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts in patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), evaluating possible risk factors for suicidality. Methods: Risk of suicide was assessed using the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) in 35 patients with bvFTD and 25 controls. Results: According to SSI, 40% of patients with bvFTD had suicidal ideation in comparison to 8% of controls ( P = .009). Four patients with bvFTD have attempted suicide versus none control ( P = .006). Patients with bvFTD with suicide risk showed higher levels of anxiety, depression, stress, and hopelessness than patients without suicide risk ( P < .001). Patients who attempted suicide were younger and had a longer disease duration than those with only suicide ideation. Intriguingly, 40% of patients with parkinsonism presented high level of suicide ideation. Conclusions: Our findings show that patients with bvFTD have a high risk of suicide. Additional studies in larger populations are needed to confirm our results.