A fact sheet prepared for Domenici's announcement described his disease as Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, or FTLD.

In his prepared remarks, Domenici said that as recently as April, "the disease had not progressed." A late September checkup showed a slight progression, causing him to scrap plans to seek a new term, he said in the remarks.

"No cure for my disease exists, yet," he said. "But, if we work hard enough, we may be able to find a way to cure people with diseases of the brain in the future. That would be truly a wonderful thing."

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the most common clinical subtype of FTLD. It is characterized by personality change and impaired social conduct initially and throughout the disease course. Patients may also have emotional blunting and loss of insight. Other common features are disinhibition, neglect of personal hygiene, mental rigidity, perseverative behaviors, voracious appetite and hyperorality. An example of disinhibition in one of our patients was an elderly woman with FTD who when at a restaurant would walk over to other tables and eat the food off another customer's plate. Another patient would constantly fill water bottles, up to 20 at a time, demonstrating perseverative behavior.