September 22-29, 2024: Frontotemporal Dementia Awareness Week

WHEREAS, Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) is a form of dementia caused by progressive nerve cell loss in the brain's frontal and temporal lobes, which variably causes deterioration in behavior, personality, and/or difficulty with producing or comprehending language; and,

WHEREAS, according to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, FTD is frequently misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's, depression, Parkinson's disease, or a psychiatric condition. On average, it currently takes 3.6 years to get an accurate diagnosis; and,

WHEREAS, most FTD cases occur between the ages of 45 and 64. Therefore, FTD has a potentially substantially greater impact on work, family, and finances; and,

WHEREAS, the economic burden of FTD is estimated to be $120,000 per year per family; and,

WHEREAS, FTD may affect a person's ability to express emotions and to show affection and empathy; and,

WHEREAS, in the behavioral variant of FTD, a person's personality may be significantly changed and this could manifest as impaired judgment and responding to social situations in a way that may be considered inappropriate; and,

WHEREAS, in the language variants of FTD (primary progressive aphasia), a person may have difficulty producing speech and understanding grammar, lose the meaning of words or become hesitant in their speech, and may eventually become non-verbal; and,

WHEREAS, today, there is no cure for FTD, and no current treatments available to slow or stop the progression of the disease; and,

WHEREAS, the last week of September has been declared World Frontotemporal Dementia Awareness Week to raise funds to improve care and support options, support research for treatments and ultimately a cure;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim September 22-29, 2024 as Frontotemporal Dementia Awareness Week in Michigan.