Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center

OUR RESEARCH

The Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center brings together an energetic team of creative clinicians and researchers dedicated to the investigation and treatment of early onset neurodegenerative conditions. Our team of experts include neurologists, neuropathologists, neuroscientists, geneticists, genetic counselors, neuropsychologists, nurses, social workers, and clinical research coordinators, all targeting a cure for Frontotemporal degeneration.

The research expertise at the Penn FTD Center spans many levels of neuroscience ranging from detailed clinico-pathological studies, biomarker discovery, genetics, neuropsychological studies, functional and structural neuroimaging, and cognitive neuroscience investigations of language, memory, and social cognition.

Volunteers who participate in Penn FTD Center research studies assist the Center in advancing the science of frontotemporal degenerative diseases and help us provide the highest quality of care for our clinical patients.

Observational Research

Clinical Trials

OUR MISSION

To educate the community, both local and national, about young-onset dementias such as Frontotemporal degeneration, and; to increase local engagement and interest in research at the University of Pennsylvania Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC). These activities will help promote a community of support, access to resources, and improved outcomes for individuals with early onset-dementia and their families.

Our Latest Publications

Apraxia of Speech in the Spontaneous Speech of Nonfluent/Agrammatic Primary Progressive Aphasia

Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a core diagnostic feature of nonfluent/agrammatic primary progressive aphasia (naPPA). This study is a quantitative assessment of its occurrence in our naPPA patients. We find that AOS is characterized mainly by frequent errors in the articulation of speech sounds and by speech segmentation, which is the presence of brief pauses within the stream of speech. A surprising finding of this investigation is that AOS is not associated with an underlying motor disorder such as corticobasal syndrome or progressive supranuclear palsy.