Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39148421›Full record

ReviewAging & mental health2025

Caregiving in the face of empathy loss in Frontotemporal Dementia: an integrative review.

Lauren Fisher, Ellen Munsterman, Neetu Rajpal, Emma Rhodes, Nancy Hodgson, Karen B Hirschman, Lauren Massimo

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Aging & mental health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Empathy in primary progressive aphasia: Neural signatures and longitudinal trajectories.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Lauren FisherSchool of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6597-5923
Ellen MunstermanSchool of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2714-4472
Neetu RajpalHolman Biotech Commons, University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Philadelphia, PA, USA.ORCID 0009-0008-8433-6981
Emma RhodesFrontotemporal Degeneration Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9053-0114
Nancy HodgsonSchool of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8862-9986
Karen B HirschmanSchool of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4886-7765
Lauren MassimoSchool of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3407-7335

Funding

Understanding Environmental Contributions to Heterogeneity in bvFTD.P01AG066597 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI David John Irwin, Corey T McMillan · 2020 to 2026
$18.8M
Individualized Care for At Risk Older AdultsT32NR009356 · NINR · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Lauren M Massimo, MARY D NAYLOR · 2007 to 2026
$7.8M
Multidimensional Approaches to Understanding Consequences and Mechanisms of Apathy in Frontotemporal DegenerationR01AG076832 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Lauren M Massimo · 2022 to 2026
$2.6M
Digital monitoring of autonomic activity to detect empathy loss in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementiaK23AG083124 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Emma Rhodes · 2023 to 2026
$652k
NIA NIH HHS K23 AG083124NIA NIH HHS P01 AG066597NIA NIH HHS R01 AG076832NINR NIH HHS T32 NR009356
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesFrontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) is a common cause of early onset dementia with symptoms often presenting before 65 years of age and adding tremendous burden on caregivers. FTD caregiving research describes patient behavioral symptoms such as apathy and disinhibition as primary sources of poor caregiver psychological health; however, little attention has been paid to other common patient behaviors, such as loss of empathy. To better understand the relationship between empathy loss and FTD caregiver outcomes, this integrative review aimed to address the question: How does the loss of empathy in a person living with FTD (PLwFTD) impact the caregiver?

methodQuantitative and qualitative articles were found in PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Scopus and were assessed for quality using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT). Through constant comparative analysis, articles were assessed to abstract common themes in the literature.

resultsFrom 333 citations, 8 qualitative and 8 quantitative studies published between 2010 and 2022 were included. Three main themes were uncovered: 1) caregiver emotional reactions to the PLwFTD; 2) caregiver psychological distress; 3) changes in the relationship.

conclusionThis review emphasizes the detrimental impact of empathy loss on FTD caregivers. Understanding these underexplored consequences is critical in understanding the well-being of caregivers and promoting ways to support caregivers.

Indexed as

CaregiversFrontotemporal DementiaEmpathyHumanscaregivingDementiaempathyinterpersonal relationshipsreview

Identifiers

PMID39148421
PMCPMC11693487

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.