Objective: To define predictors of the progression of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

Background: Dementia with Lewy bodies is a progressive disabling neurodegenerative disease with the wide spectrum of clinical syndromes. It is unclear what does influence the rate progression of the disease.

Method: We examined 70 patients that fulfilled clinical criteria for probable DLB. The clinical assessment included Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA), Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE-R), verbal fluency test, visual memory test, Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-4), University of Miami Parkinson’s disease Hallucinations Questionnaire (UM-PDHQ), the motor section of the Unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale (UPDRS), orthostatic hypotension test, IQCODE. Sleep-wake profile was assessed using a single-question screen for REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD1Q), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). All patients were performed 1,5 T brain MRI.

Results: We revealed that the patients with DLB who had lower score on memory subtests and semantic verbal fluency test had more rapid rate of progression (p<0.005). These findings were associated with MRI data. The patients with more severe hippocampus atrophy had more severe course of the disease (p<0.005). 36 patients with DLB had mild to severe cerebrovascular lesions on MRI. However these changes did not influenced the clinical picture and progression of the disease. The orthostatic hypotension and psychiatric symptoms managed with antipsychotics were associated with more rapid disabling (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that coexisting alzheimer-like neurodegenerative process is the main factor of rapid progression in patients with DLB.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/predictors-of-the-progression-of-dementia-with-lewy-bodies/