An unpleasant sensation characterized by physical discomfort (such as pricking, throbbing, or aching) localized to the back.

An unpleasant sensation characterized by physical discomfort (such as pricking, throbbing, or aching) localized to the hip.

Abnormal protrusion of the scapula away from the surface of the back.

The shoulder, or pectoral, girdle is composed of the clavicles and the scapulae. Shoulder-girdle weakness refers to lack of strength of the muscles attaching to these bones, that is, lack of strength of the muscles around the shoulders.

Weakness of the muscles of the pelvic girdle (also known as the hip girdle), that is, lack of strength of the muscles around the pelvis.

Reduced strength and weakness of the muscles of the arms and legs.

Amyotrophy affecting the muscles of the shoulder girdle.

Atrophy of the muscles of the pelvic girdle (also known as hip girdle), i.e., the gluteal muscles, the lateral rotators, the adductors, the psoas major and the iliacus muscle.

An acquired language impairment of some or all of the abilities to produce or comprehend speech and to read or write.

An abnormally increased muscular tone that causes fixed abnormal postures. There is a slow, intermittent twisting motion that leads to exaggerated turning and posture of the extremities and trunk.

Weakness of all four limbs.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) refers to a clinical manifestation of the pathologic finding of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). FTD, the most common subtype of FTLD, is a behavioral variant characterized by changes in social and personal conduct with loss of volition, executive dysfunction, loss of abstract thought, and decreased speech output. A second clinical subtype of FTLD is 'semantic dementia,' characterized by specific loss of comprehension of language and impaired facial and object recognition. A third clinical subtype of FTLD is 'primary progressive aphasia' (PPA), characterized by a reduction in speech production, speech errors, and word retrieval difficulties resulting in mutism and an inability to communicate. All subtypes have relative preservation of memory, at least in the early stages. FTLD is often associated with parkinsonism or motor neuron disease (MND) resembling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; 105400) (reviews by Tolnay and Probst, 2002 and Mackenzie and Rademakers, 2007). Mackenzie et al. (2009, 2010) provided a classification of FTLD subtypes according to the neuropathologic findings (see PATHOGENESIS below). Clinical Variability of Tauopathies Tauopathies comprise a clinically variable group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized neuropathologically by accumulation of abnormal MAPT-positive inclusions in nerve and/or glial cells. In addition to frontotemporal dementia, semantic dementia, and PPA, different clinical syndromes with overlapping features have been described, leading to confusion in the terminology (Tolnay and Probst, 2002). Other terms used historically include parkinsonism and dementia with pallidopontonigral degeneration (PPND) (Wszolek et al., 1992); disinhibition-dementia-parkinsonism-amyotrophy complex (DDPAC) (Lynch et al., 1994); frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism (FLDEM) (Yamaoka et al., 1996); and multiple system tauopathy with presenile dementia (MSTD) (Spillantini et al., 1997). These disorders are characterized by variable degrees of frontal lobe dementia, parkinsonism, motor neuron disease, and amyotrophy. Other neurodegenerative associated with mutations in the MAPT gene include Pick disease (172700) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP; 601104), Inherited neurodegenerative tauopathies linked to chromosome 17 and caused by mutation in the MAPT gene have also been collectively termed 'FTDP17' (Lee et al., 2001). Kertesz (2003) suggested the term 'Pick complex' to represent the overlapping syndromes of FTD, primary progressive aphasia (PPA), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), PSP, and FTD with motor neuron disease. He noted that frontotemporal dementia may also be referred to as 'clinical Pick disease' and that the term 'Pick disease' should be restricted to the pathologic finding of Pick bodies. Genetic Heterogeneity of Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Mutations in several different genes can cause frontotemporal dementia and frontotemporal lobar degeneration, with or without motor neuron disease. See FTLD with TDP43 inclusions (607485), caused by mutation in the GRN gene (138945) on chromosome 17q21; FTLALS7 (600795), caused by mutation in the CHMP2B gene (609512) on chromosome 3p11; inclusion body myopathy with Paget disease and FTD (IBMPFD; 167320), caused by mutation in the VCP gene (601023) on chromosome 9p13; ALS6 (608030), caused by mutation in the FUS gene (137070) on 16p11; ALS10 (612069), caused by mutation in the TARDBP gene (605078) on 1p36; and FTDALS1 (105550), caused by mutation in the C9ORF72 gene (614260) on 9p21. In 1 family with FTD, a mutation was identified in the presenilin-1 gene (PSEN1; 104311) on chromosome 14, which is usually associated with a familial form of early-onset Alzheimer disease (AD3; 607822).

A loss of global cognitive ability of sufficient amount to interfere with normal social or occupational function. Dementia represents a loss of previously present cognitive abilities, generally in adults, and can affect memory, thinking, language, judgment, and behavior.

The term gait disturbance can refer to any disruption of the ability to walk. In general, this can refer to neurological diseases but also fractures or other sources of pain that is triggered upon walking. However, in the current context gait disturbance refers to difficulty walking on the basis of a neurological or muscular disease.

Inability to walk in a person who previous had the ability to walk.

Atrophy of the temporal cortex.

Atrophy of the frontal cortex.

Partial or complete wasting (loss) of brain tissue that was once present.

A disorder of muscle unrelated to impairment of innervation or neuromuscular junction.

Paget disease of bone is a disorder that causes bones to grow larger and weaker than normal. Affected bones may be misshapen and easily broken (fractured).\n\nThe classic form of Paget disease of bone typically appears in middle age or later. It usually occurs in one or a few bones and does not spread from one bone to another. Any bones can be affected, although the disease most commonly affects bones in the spine, pelvis, skull, or legs.\n\nMany people with classic Paget disease of bone do not experience any symptoms associated with their bone abnormalities. The disease is often diagnosed unexpectedly by x-rays or laboratory tests done for other reasons. People who develop symptoms are most likely to experience pain. The affected bones may themselves be painful, or pain may be caused by arthritis in nearby joints. Arthritis results when the distortion of bones, particularly weight-bearing bones in the legs, causes extra wear and tear on the joints. Arthritis most frequently affects the knees and hips in people with this disease.\n\nOther complications of Paget disease of bone depend on which bones are affected. If the disease occurs in bones of the skull, it can cause an enlarged head, hearing loss, headaches, and dizziness. If the disease affects bones in the spine, it can lead to numbness and tingling (due to pinched nerves) and abnormal spinal curvature. In the leg bones, the disease can cause bowed legs and difficulty walking.\n\nA rare type of bone cancer called osteosarcoma has been associated with Paget disease of bone. This type of cancer probably occurs in less than 1 in 1,000 people with this disease.\n\nEarly-onset Paget disease of bone is a less common form of the disease that appears in a person's teens or twenties. Its features are similar to those of the classic form of the disease, although it is more likely to affect the skull, spine, and ribs (the axial skeleton) and the small bones of the hands. The early-onset form of the disorder is also associated with hearing loss early in life.

A lack of strength of the proximal muscles.

Reduced ability to climb stairs.

Muscular atrophy affecting the muscles that attach to the pelvic girdle (the gluteal muscles, the lateral rotators, adductor magnus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, pectineus, and gracilis muscles).

Facial nerve palsy is a dysfunction of cranial nerve VII (the facial nerve) that results in inability to control facial muscles on the affected side with weakness of the muscles of facial expression and eye closure. This can either be present in unilateral or bilateral form.

An abnormal accentuation of the inward curvature of the spine in the lumbar region.

Generalized (diffuse, unlocalized) amyotrophy (muscle atrophy) affecting multiple muscles.

Lack of strength of the proximal muscles that becomes progressively more severe.

Muscular atrophy affecting muscles in the distal portions of the extremities.

Presence of abnormal vacuoles (membrane-bound organelles) in the sarcolemma. On histological staining with hematoxylin and eosin, rimmed vacuoles are popcorn-like clear vacuoles with a densely blue rim. The vacuoles are often associated with cytoplasmic and occasionally intranuclear eosinophilic inclusions.

An abnormality of the bony pelvic girdle, which is a ring of bones connecting the vertebral column to the femurs.

An elevation of the level of the enzyme creatine kinase (also known as creatine phosphokinase (CK; EC 2.7.3.2) in the blood. CK levels can be elevated in a number of clinical disorders such as myocardial infarction, rhabdomyolysis, and muscular dystrophy.

An abnormally increased level of bone isoforms of alkaline phosphatase, tissue-nonspecific isozyme in the blood.