Scientists have discovered that a simple nasal spray containing oxytocin, commonly known as the “love hormone,” may help treat apathy that often affects patients with a type of early-onset dementia.
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a common form of early-onset dementia affecting people between the ages of 40 and 65. It affects the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes, leading to problems with language, behavior, and decision-making. Apathy, a frequent symptom, causes patients to lose interest in hobbies and distance themselves from loved ones.
Until now, there have been no proven treatments for prevalent symptoms of FTD, including apathy.
“Apathy is one of the core symptoms of FTD, and often the first to develop,” co-lead study author Dr. Elizabeth Finger, a scientist at St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Lawson Research Institute in Ontario, Canada, said in a press statement….