Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is a form of frontotemporal degeneration, a dementia that involves the loss of cognitive functions such as the ability to think, remember, or reason to the point that it interferes with a person's daily life and activities. CBD can affect:

• Movement
• Balance
• Coordination
• Memory
• Vision
• Speaking and swallowing
• Other bodily functions

CBD primarily affects the cerebral cortex (the outer part of the brain) and the basal ganglia (structures deep within the brain that are involved with movement). The disease continues to worsen, causes nerve cells to die, and multiple areas of the brain to shrink (atrophy).

Not everyone who has corticobasal degeneration has problems with memory, cognition, language, or behavior. People with CBD can live up to 6-8 years following symptom onset, sometimes longer.