Hundreds Impacted by Young-Onset Dementia to Gather in Baltimore for AFTD Conference

BALTIMORE, May 4, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) is the leading form of dementia for people under age 60. Currently incurable and untreatable, it profoundly affects the lives of more than 50,000 Americans. Accurate diagnosis can take years, and options to connect with peers and experts can be difficult, leaving individuals and families devastated, isolated and confused. Attention to FTD is increasing: 2016 saw it claim the life of film director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential), while Monty Python member Terry Jones and long-time UNC Tar Heels announcer Woody Durham went public with FTD diagnoses.

Each year, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) hosts an annual education conference so that people impacted by FTD can meet in person and gain access to vital resources and information. Hundreds of FTD caregivers, persons diagnosed, experts, researchers and medical professionals gather to make this event one of crucial importance for all impacted by FTD.

AFTD's 2017 conference event host is Johns Hopkins Medicine. The conference will take place at Baltimore's Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel on Friday, May 5. Attendees will learn from and connect with leading FTD experts, including staff from Johns Hopkins Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson University.

The conference's clinical presentation will be provided by Chiadi Onyike, MD, discussing different types of FTD, their pathology and how creating partnerships can benefit treatment. The keynote speaker, Dr. Halima Amjad, will share personal and professional perspectives on FTD and its impact on families.

Walk-in registrations are welcome. General registration is $75, but individuals and families attending the conference can request that this fee be waived. Generous support from the conference's sponsors, including Biogen, Lilly, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Bristol-Myers Squibb, the Alzheimer's Association and Arden Courts have helped to make that possible.

For more information: http://www.theaftd.org/newsroom/aftd-2017-education-conference

About FTD: FTD is the most prevalent form of dementia for individuals under 60 in the U.S; roughly 60% of cases occur in people 45-64 years old. The hallmark of FTD is a gradual, progressive decline in behavior and/or language, with memory usually remaining relatively preserved.

About AFTD: The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration is the leading nonprofit working to improve the quality of life of people affected by FTD in the United States, and to drive research to a cure. Learn more at www.theaftd.org, or via www.facebook.com/TheAFTD  or twitter.com/AFTDCure. 

SOURCE Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration

Related Links

http://www.theaftd.org