There is no proven effective treatment for Pick's disease.

Depending on the symptoms and how bad the disease is, the patient may need monitoring and help with personal hygiene and self-care. Eventually, there may be a need for 24-hour care and monitoring at home or in an institutionalized care setting. Family counseling may help in coping with the changes required for home care.

Visiting nurses or aides, volunteer services, homemakers, adult protective services, and other community resources may be helpful in caring for the person. In some communities, there may be access to support groups (such as the Alzheimer's - support group, elder care - support group, or others).

In some cases, cognitive function may be improved by stopping or changing medications that worsen confusion or that are not essential to the care of the person. This may include medications such as anticholinergics, analgesics, cimetidine, central nervous system depressants, and lidocaine.

Disorders that contribute to confusion should be treated. These may include heart failure, decreased oxygen (hypoxia), thyroid disorders, anemia, nutritional disorders, infections, and psychiatric conditions such as depression. Treating any medical and psychiatric disorders often helps improve mental function.

Medications may be needed to control aggressive, dangerous, or agitated behaviors.

Some patients may need hearing-aids, glasses, cataract surgery, or other treatments.

Behavior modification may help some people controll unacceptable or dangerous behaviors. This consists of rewarding appropriate or positive behaviors and ignoring inappropriate behaviors (when it's safe to do so).

Formal psychotherapy treatment doesn't always work, because it may cause further confusion or disorientation.

Reality orientation, with repeated reinforcement of environmental and other cues, may help reduce disorientation.

Legal advice may be appropriate early in the course of the disorder. Advance directives, power of attorney, and other legal actions can make it easier to make ethical decisions regarding the care of the person with Pick's disease.

The probable outcome is poor. The disorder progresses steadily and relatively rapidly. Total disability occurs early. Commonly, Pick's disease results in death within 2 to 10 years, usually from infection and occasionally from general failure of body systems.

• loss of ability to care for self or perform normal activities
• progressive loss of ability to function
• loss of ability to interact with others
• infection
• reduced life span
• abuse by an over-stressed caregiver
• side effects of medications used to treat the disorder

Call your health care provider if symptoms of Pick's disease develop.

Call your health care provider or go to the emergency room if acute deterioration in mental function occurs (this symptom may indicate development of another disorder).

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Grossman M. Progressive aphasic syndromes: clinical and theoretical advances. Curr Opin Neurol. 2002;15:1-5.

McKhann G, Albert M, Grossman M, Miller B, Dickson D, Trojanowski J. Clinical and pathological diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. Arch Neurology. 2001;58:1803-1809.