Semantic and nonfluent aphasic variants, secondarily associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are predominant frontotemporal lobar degeneration phenotypes in TBK1 carriers

INTRODUCTION: TBK1 mutations represent a rare novel genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) without or with dementia. The full spectrum of TBK1 phenotypes has not been completely defined so far. METHODS: We describe the clinical and neuroimaging characteristics of loss-of-function mutation carriers initially presenting with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) phenotypes. RESULTS: Two carriers initially presented semantic variant of FTLD (svFTLD); two other developed nonfluent variant of FTLD (nfvFTLD) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS), associated with severe anterior temporal and opercular atrophy. All secondarily developed ALS. DISCUSSION: This study enlarges the phenotypic spectrum of TBK1 mutations, including svFTLD and nfvFTLD/CBS, not reported so far. Aphasic presentations seem to be more evocative of TBK1 genotype than behavioral variant of FTLD, and TBK1 should be analyzed in patients with isolated FTLD at onset, particularly in rare aphasic cases secondarily associated with ALS.