Session Information
Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Session Title: Cognition and Cognitive Disorders
Session Time: 1:15pm-2:45pm
Location: Agora 3 East, Level 3
Objective: To compare motor and neuropathological features of Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and to determine clinical and neuropathological differences between PDD and DLB.
Background: PDD and DLB are often called Lewy body dementias due to the number of overlapping clinical and neuropathological features. Clinically and in the research settings we can distinguish between them by using ‘1 year’ rule which is based on the temporal onset of dementia and parkinsonism. Identification of additional clinical and neuropathological differences might help to differentiate between these two disorders more clearly.
Method: This is an observational, retrospective clinico-pathological study. Subjects were brain donors from Queen Square Brain Bank. Clinical information was collected from clinical records of brain donors and neuropathological data were based on the neuropathological assessment of Lewy body and Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology.
Results: 64 brain donors (52 PDD and 12 DLB) were included. 71.2% of PDD and 58.3% of DLB were men (p = 0.492). Disease duration was significantly shorter in DLB than in PDD (p < 0.001). Age at disease onset was similar in both groups (p = 0.052) as well as age at death (p = 0.141). Severity of parkinsonism at the time of dementia was significantly higher in PDD than in DLB (p < 0.001). Furthermore, PDD had significantly higher frequency of tremor (p = 0.017) and dyskinesia (p < 0.001) compared to DLB. Lifetime cumulative dose of levodopa was significantly higher in PDD than in DLB (p < 0.001). Neuropathological assessment showed that the majority of PDD and all DLB cases had neocortical stage of Lewy body pathology (p = 1.000) whereas the assessment of Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology showed significantly higher scores in DLB compared to PDD (B score, p = 0.018; C score, p = 0.016).
Conclusion: We found several clinical and neuropathological differences which help in the differentiation between PDD and DLB and in their better characterization.
References: Walker Z, Possin KL, Boeve BF, Aarsland D. Lewy body dementias. Lancet. 2015;386(10004):1683-97.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
D. Hansen, T. Lashley, J. Holton, T. Warner. Comparing motor and neuropathological features of Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2019; 34 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/comparing-motor-and-neuropathological-features-of-parkinsons-disease-dementia-and-dementia-with-lewy-bodies/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to 2019 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/comparing-motor-and-neuropathological-features-of-parkinsons-disease-dementia-and-dementia-with-lewy-bodies/