Eye movements in frontotemporal dementia: Abnormalities of fixation, saccades and anti‐saccades

Abstract Introduction Oculomotor function has not been systematically studied in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and yet may offer a simple target to monitor disease activity. Methods We assessed fixation stability, smooth pursuit, pro‐saccades, and anti‐saccades using the Eyelink 1000‐plus eye‐tracker in 19 individuals with behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) and 22 controls. Neuroanatomical correlates were assessed using a region of interest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis. Results Measures of fixation stability were impaired in the bvFTD group compared with controls. However, performance did not differ from controls in the pro‐saccade tasks except in the vertical overlap condition. The bvFTD group performed worse in the anti‐saccade task, which correlated strongly with executive function. Neural correlates included the orbitofrontal and ventromedial prefrontal cortices and striatum for fixation stability, and the dorsolateral prefrontal and parietal cortices and striatum for anti‐saccades. Discussion Overall, oculomotor function is abnormal in bvFTD, with performance likely related to impairment of inhibitory control and executive dysfunction.