Early and presenting symptoms of dementia with lewy bodies

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2011;32(3):202-8. doi: 10.1159/000333072. Epub 2011 Nov 16.

Abstract

Background/aims: To explore the presenting and early symptoms of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

Method: Patients with mild dementia fulfilling diagnostic criteria for DLB (n = 61) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 109) were recruited from outpatient dementia clinics in western Norway. At diagnosis, caregivers were asked which symptom had been the presenting symptom of dementia.

Results: Caregivers reported that memory impairment was the most common presenting symptom in DLB (57%), followed by visual hallucinations (44%), depression (34%), problem solving difficulties (33%), gait problems (28%), and tremor/stiffness (25%). In contrast, 99% of AD carers reported impaired memory as a presenting symptom, whereas visual hallucinations were a presenting symptom in 3% of the AD cases.

Conclusion: DLB should be suspected in predementia cases with visual hallucinations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnosis
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnostic imaging
  • Alzheimer Disease / psychology
  • Caregivers
  • Cognition / physiology
  • Delirium / etiology
  • Depression / etiology
  • Depression / psychology
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Educational Status
  • Female
  • Gait Disorders, Neurologic / etiology
  • Hallucinations / etiology
  • Humans
  • Lewy Body Disease / diagnosis
  • Lewy Body Disease / diagnostic imaging
  • Lewy Body Disease / psychology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Norway
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
  • Tremor / etiology
  • Tropanes

Substances

  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Tropanes
  • 2-carbomethoxy-8-(3-fluoropropyl)-3-(4-iodophenyl)tropane