The loss of empathy is a key problem in people with frontal and anti -protection dementia – our studies show what is happening in the brain

The frontally and defense dementia has gained significant attention in recent years after the actor’s family Bruce Willis announced in 2023 that he was The state was diagnosed. A year later it was revealed that she was hosting Chat in the USA Wendy Williams The state was diagnosed.

However, despite this recent attention, we still do not know much about the frontal and protective dementia – including what mechanisms cause certain symptoms and how we can better detect the signs of the disease. But Our research He discovered brain processes underlying one of the earliest symptoms of the disease. This discovery brings us a step cling to better diagnosis and treatment of state.

Frontal dementia About 5% of dementia cases. Symptoms usually start in the sixties or seventies. The disease primarily affects the behavior, personality and language skills.

The diagnosis of frontally -protective dementia, which distinguishes it from other forms of dementia (such as Alzheimer’s disease), is the early loss of empathy. This often manifests itself as reduced heat and concern for loved ones. This symptom can be deeply disturbing for family members and loved ones similar to the patient. They may feel as if the patient’s personality has changed – and that his efforts to aid and support meet with indifference.

One sec Loss of empathy He was the subject Many research From the scientific community, precise brain mechanisms underlying the loss of empathy in the front -protective dementia remain unclear.

Together with colleagues from the Karolinska Institute, Lund University and Umeå University in Sweden, we conducted a study that was trying Understand how empathy decreases In front -and -protection dementia. We looked at 28 patients with frontal -protective dementia and compared them with 28 vigorous people.

To conduct our study, we used a type of brain scanning called functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI). During the FMRI scanner, participants looked at the images of hands punctured by the needles. These paintings were contrasted with images affected by Q-tip hand. This is a well -established neuronouki test, which aims to cause a sense of care and suffering as a witness of another person in pain. We analyzed the brain activity of patients with frontal and protective dementia while viewing images.

In vigorous volunteers, the front of the front rims and the hill are the regions of the brain responsible for monitoring internal body signals (such as pain). These cerebral systems became vigorous when they observed paintings in pain.

But in patients with frontal and protective dementia, activity in these key areas of the brain has been significantly reduced. These reductions were strikingly related to the degree of empathy, which patients showed in their daily lives, as they are assessed by questionnaires filled by family members.

Empathy and brain function

It is usually believed that empathy consists of two dimensions. Empathy is the ability to respond to the feelings of others (such as their suffering and care). Cognitive empathy is the ability to understand the intentions of others.

Although both are closely related, they are not the same. It is also possible that a person has one aspect of empathy, but not the other. The difference between Two aspects of empathy You can actually illustrate two psychiatric conditions, anti -social personality disorder and autism.

People who have been diagnosed with anti -social personality disorder are usually good in understanding other people’s intentions and motivations (Cognitive empathy), but he can’t feel emotionally. This can lead to disregarding other people. On the other hand, a person with autism usually has the ability to emotional empathy, but may not be able to apply for other people’s intentions (Cognitive empathy).

Our study revealed reduced activity in the brain part associated with monitoring the brain of body states, which are usually used during emotional empathic with another person. These discoveries emphasize the critical relationship between this brain system and our ability to take into account others.

In the lithe of these findings, the next step in our research is to examine whether and in how the flow of signals of the body necessary to create an internal I is changed in frontal and fleeting dementia-as it refers to empathy.

Apart from About 30% of cases are geneticThe causes of the frontal and protective dementia remain unclear. Despite intensive efforts from the community, there is no cure. But thanks to the brave suffering and their families coming forward, consciousness is growing. This is a key continuation.

We hope that understanding how the brain converts empathy into frontal -protective dementia can not only aid improve the diagnosis, but in the future can pave the path of potential treatment that soothes some of the destructive effects of this disease.