Wendy Williams has frontotemporal dementia. What is FTD?

By CARLA K. JOHNSON
AP Medical Writer

Former talk show host Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with a rare form of dementia called frontotemporal dementia, or FTD. It affects parts of the brain controlling behavior and language. These parts of the brain shrink as the disease gets worse. FTD usually occurs in people in their 40s, 50s and early 60s. It can affect a person’s personality, causing a loss of inhibition or inappropriate behavior. It can be mistaken for depression or bipolar disorder and often takes years to diagnose. People with FTD will need caregiving or nursing support as their symptoms get worse.