• An initial neuropsychological evaluation showed selective impairment on the Iowa Gambling Task similar to that of patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, despite normal performance on standard neuropsychological tasks.
• Frontotemporal dementia is an umbrella term for a group of uncommon brain disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. These areas of the brain are generally associated with personality, behavior and language. In frontotemporal dementia, portions of these lobes shrink (atrophy).
• An initial neuropsychological evaluation showed selective impairment on the Iowa Gambling Task similar to that of patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, despite normal.
• Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a common cause of dementia, is a group of disorders that occur when nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain are lost. This causes the lobes to shrink. FTD can affect behavior, personality, language, and movement.

• Frontal Lobe Dementia Gambling Symptoms
• Frontal Lobe Dementia Gambling Disorder
• Frontal Lobe Dementia Gambling Addiction
• Frontal Lobe Dementia Gambling Disorders

Frontal Lobe Dementia Gambling Symptoms

Q: My aunt, has within the last 6 years become addicted to scratch off tickets at any local gas station. I worry about her safety. She lives alone (insists on it) and comes and goes as she pleases. She states that this gambling is her social life. She knows all the other gamblers that hang out in the same places. Anyway, she does has a bowel and incontinence problem which we have just recently gone for an MRI because of that. We will have some results tomorrow. She has no interest in doing anything else. Whatever we suggest she says she doesn’t feel like. She will not go to therapy or church. However, she does read. Do I just let her be? Any suggestions would be well received.

– Jane

Frontotemporal Dementia Can Cause Gambling Compulsions

A study by Suwa Tokyo University of Science showed that elderly who gamble demonstrated a small increase in activity in the brain’s frontal and parietal lobes and displayed better recognition. More and more Japanese elders are gambling playing games like baccarat, mahjong, pachinko, and slot machines.

Hi Jane,

It sounds like a pretty tough situation with your mother. I think the course of action will depend on your mother’s test results and consultation with her physician.

Frontal Lobe Dementia Gambling Disorder

There is one type of dementia in particular that will sometimes manifest itself as a gambling compulsion and that is called “frontotemporal dementia” or sometimes “frontal lobe dementia”. This is dementia that affects the frontal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for many of our inhibitions.

People who experience damage to this part of their brain from dementia or some other cause will often have personality changes and will sometimes develop gambling problems

For example, a study (only the abstract is available) talks about “frontotemporal dementia presenting as pathological gambling“.

Another article from this year has more info on that connection.

I don’t mean to “diagnose” your mother from afar, but this is the first think I thought of when you wrote and may be something to discuss with your mother’s physician if she or her hasn’t already brought up the possibility.

Frontal Lobe Dementia Gambling Addiction

I know it can be difficult, but this is the type of situation where you may need to consider guardianship and power-of-attorney. Obviously that’s something you’d want to talk about with her physician and ideally, family members or other trusted advisors, but it may be worth exploring for your aunt’s sake.

Frontal Lobe Dementia Gambling Disorders

Best wishes,

AssistedLiving.com Team

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