Frontal Pole Hypometabolism Linked to Reduced Prosocial Sexual Behaviors in Frontotemporal Dementia and Corticobasal Syndrome

Hannah E. Silverman; Yunglin Gazes; Megan S. Barker; Masood Manoochehri; Jill S. Goldman; Eric M. Wassermann; Michael C. Tierney; Stephanie Cosentino; Jordan Grafman; Edward D. Huey

doi:10.3233/JAD-200346

Frontal Pole Hypometabolism Linked to Reduced Prosocial Sexual Behaviors in Frontotemporal Dementia and Corticobasal Syndrome

Hannah E. Silverman, Yunglin Gazes, Megan S. Barker, Masood Manoochehri, Jill S. Goldman, Eric M. Wassermann, Michael C. Tierney, Stephanie Cosentino, Jordan Grafman, Edward D. Huey^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Changes in sexual behaviors in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are common and multifaceted, but not well characterized. Objective: To characterize changes in sexual behaviors and intimacy in FTD compared to corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and normal controls (NC), and to evaluate the neuroanatomical associations of these changes. Methods: Spouses of 30 FTD patients, 20 CBS patients, and 35 NC completed the Sexual Symptoms in Neurological Illness and Injury Questionnaire (SNIQ), which captures changes in sexual interest, inappropriate sexual behaviors, and prosocial sexual behaviors. 25 patients with FTD and 14 patients with CBS also received 18-flouorodeoxyglucose positron-emission topography (18FDG-PET) scans to determine the metabolic changes associated with these symptoms. Results: FTD patients showed a greater increase in inappropriate sexual behaviors than CBS patients [p = 0.009] and NC [p < 0.001] and a greater decrease in prosocial sexual behaviors than CBS patients [p = 0.026] and NC [p < 0.001]. Groups did not differ in change in sexual interest. Among both patient groups, the most common change was decreased prosocial sexual behaviors p < 0.01. Hypometabolism in Brodmann's Area 10 (BA10), within the right frontal pole, correlated with decreased prosocial sexual behaviors [p(FWE-corr) <0.05, k = 44]. No anatomical associations were found with other sexual changes. Conclusion: Decreased prosocial sexual behavior was associated with hypometabolism in BA 10, an area tied to social knowledge and theory of mind, supporting the idea that changes reflect social-cognitive deficits due to frontal dysfunction.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	821-830
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
Volume	77
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-200346
State	Published - 2020

Funding

This work was supported by the Intramural Program of The National Institutes of Health/The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, by a grant from the Division of Extramural Research of The National Institutes of Health/The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to EDH [R00 NS060766], and by a grant from The National Institutes of Health/The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to EDH and SC [4R01 NS076837-05]. This work was supported by the Intramural Program of The National Institutes of Health/The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, by a grant from the Division of Extramural Research of The National Institutes of Health/The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to EDH [R00 NS060766], and by a grant from The National Institutes of Health/The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to EDH and SC [].

Keywords

Frontal lobe
frontotemporal dementia
neurodegenerative disorders
prefrontal cortex
sexual behavior

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geriatrics and Gerontology
Psychiatry and Mental health
Clinical Psychology
General Neuroscience

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3233/JAD-200346

Cite this

Silverman, H. E., Gazes, Y., Barker, M. S., Manoochehri, M., Goldman, J. S., Wassermann, E. M., Tierney, M. C., Cosentino, S., Grafman, J., & Huey, E. D. (2020). Frontal Pole Hypometabolism Linked to Reduced Prosocial Sexual Behaviors in Frontotemporal Dementia and Corticobasal Syndrome. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 77(2), 821-830. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-200346

@article{e3724d8b7be440c0903203e5035c49cc,

title = "Frontal Pole Hypometabolism Linked to Reduced Prosocial Sexual Behaviors in Frontotemporal Dementia and Corticobasal Syndrome",

abstract = "Background: Changes in sexual behaviors in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are common and multifaceted, but not well characterized. Objective: To characterize changes in sexual behaviors and intimacy in FTD compared to corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and normal controls (NC), and to evaluate the neuroanatomical associations of these changes. Methods: Spouses of 30 FTD patients, 20 CBS patients, and 35 NC completed the Sexual Symptoms in Neurological Illness and Injury Questionnaire (SNIQ), which captures changes in sexual interest, inappropriate sexual behaviors, and prosocial sexual behaviors. 25 patients with FTD and 14 patients with CBS also received 18-flouorodeoxyglucose positron-emission topography (18FDG-PET) scans to determine the metabolic changes associated with these symptoms. Results: FTD patients showed a greater increase in inappropriate sexual behaviors than CBS patients [p = 0.009] and NC [p < 0.001] and a greater decrease in prosocial sexual behaviors than CBS patients [p = 0.026] and NC [p < 0.001]. Groups did not differ in change in sexual interest. Among both patient groups, the most common change was decreased prosocial sexual behaviors p < 0.01. Hypometabolism in Brodmann's Area 10 (BA10), within the right frontal pole, correlated with decreased prosocial sexual behaviors [p(FWE-corr) <0.05, k = 44]. No anatomical associations were found with other sexual changes. Conclusion: Decreased prosocial sexual behavior was associated with hypometabolism in BA 10, an area tied to social knowledge and theory of mind, supporting the idea that changes reflect social-cognitive deficits due to frontal dysfunction.",

keywords = "Frontal lobe, frontotemporal dementia, neurodegenerative disorders, prefrontal cortex, sexual behavior",

author = "Silverman, {Hannah E.} and Yunglin Gazes and Barker, {Megan S.} and Masood Manoochehri and Goldman, {Jill S.} and Wassermann, {Eric M.} and Tierney, {Michael C.} and Stephanie Cosentino and Jordan Grafman and Huey, {Edward D.}",

year = "2020",

doi = "10.3233/JAD-200346",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "77",

pages = "821--830",

journal = "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease",

issn = "1387-2877",

publisher = "IOS Press",

number = "2",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Frontal Pole Hypometabolism Linked to Reduced Prosocial Sexual Behaviors in Frontotemporal Dementia and Corticobasal Syndrome

AU - Silverman, Hannah E.

AU - Gazes, Yunglin

AU - Barker, Megan S.

AU - Manoochehri, Masood

AU - Goldman, Jill S.

AU - Wassermann, Eric M.

AU - Tierney, Michael C.

AU - Cosentino, Stephanie

AU - Grafman, Jordan

AU - Huey, Edward D.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Background: Changes in sexual behaviors in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are common and multifaceted, but not well characterized. Objective: To characterize changes in sexual behaviors and intimacy in FTD compared to corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and normal controls (NC), and to evaluate the neuroanatomical associations of these changes. Methods: Spouses of 30 FTD patients, 20 CBS patients, and 35 NC completed the Sexual Symptoms in Neurological Illness and Injury Questionnaire (SNIQ), which captures changes in sexual interest, inappropriate sexual behaviors, and prosocial sexual behaviors. 25 patients with FTD and 14 patients with CBS also received 18-flouorodeoxyglucose positron-emission topography (18FDG-PET) scans to determine the metabolic changes associated with these symptoms. Results: FTD patients showed a greater increase in inappropriate sexual behaviors than CBS patients [p = 0.009] and NC [p < 0.001] and a greater decrease in prosocial sexual behaviors than CBS patients [p = 0.026] and NC [p < 0.001]. Groups did not differ in change in sexual interest. Among both patient groups, the most common change was decreased prosocial sexual behaviors p < 0.01. Hypometabolism in Brodmann's Area 10 (BA10), within the right frontal pole, correlated with decreased prosocial sexual behaviors [p(FWE-corr) <0.05, k = 44]. No anatomical associations were found with other sexual changes. Conclusion: Decreased prosocial sexual behavior was associated with hypometabolism in BA 10, an area tied to social knowledge and theory of mind, supporting the idea that changes reflect social-cognitive deficits due to frontal dysfunction.

AB - Background: Changes in sexual behaviors in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are common and multifaceted, but not well characterized. Objective: To characterize changes in sexual behaviors and intimacy in FTD compared to corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and normal controls (NC), and to evaluate the neuroanatomical associations of these changes. Methods: Spouses of 30 FTD patients, 20 CBS patients, and 35 NC completed the Sexual Symptoms in Neurological Illness and Injury Questionnaire (SNIQ), which captures changes in sexual interest, inappropriate sexual behaviors, and prosocial sexual behaviors. 25 patients with FTD and 14 patients with CBS also received 18-flouorodeoxyglucose positron-emission topography (18FDG-PET) scans to determine the metabolic changes associated with these symptoms. Results: FTD patients showed a greater increase in inappropriate sexual behaviors than CBS patients [p = 0.009] and NC [p < 0.001] and a greater decrease in prosocial sexual behaviors than CBS patients [p = 0.026] and NC [p < 0.001]. Groups did not differ in change in sexual interest. Among both patient groups, the most common change was decreased prosocial sexual behaviors p < 0.01. Hypometabolism in Brodmann's Area 10 (BA10), within the right frontal pole, correlated with decreased prosocial sexual behaviors [p(FWE-corr) <0.05, k = 44]. No anatomical associations were found with other sexual changes. Conclusion: Decreased prosocial sexual behavior was associated with hypometabolism in BA 10, an area tied to social knowledge and theory of mind, supporting the idea that changes reflect social-cognitive deficits due to frontal dysfunction.

KW - Frontal lobe

KW - frontotemporal dementia

KW - neurodegenerative disorders

KW - prefrontal cortex

KW - sexual behavior

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U2 - 10.3233/JAD-200346

DO - 10.3233/JAD-200346

M3 - Article

C2 - 32741826

AN - SCOPUS:85091470220

SN - 1387-2877

VL - 77

SP - 821

EP - 830

JO - Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

JF - Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

IS - 2

ER -

Frontal Pole Hypometabolism Linked to Reduced Prosocial Sexual Behaviors in Frontotemporal Dementia and Corticobasal Syndrome

Abstract

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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