Objective: I noticed that outpatients often continually complain about symptoms not found in PDD in DLB patients. In this time, I traced back the clinical record and compare the characteristics of the symptoms before the onset of DLB and PDD.

Background: The difference between Dementia with lewy bodies　(DLB) and Parkinson’s disease dementia(PDD) has not yet been concluded. Since olfactory disorders and constipation listed as DLB’s initial symptoms can also be seen in PDD, they can not be distinguished from each other.

Method: Subjects were 14 patients with DLB, average age 80 years (DLB group), PDD patient 6 cases average age 78 years (PDD group). In all cases, the symptoms described in the medical record before onset were examined. Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE), MIBG myocardial scintigraphy and electrocardiogram R – R fluctuation in both groups were examined and compared . Independent t-test was used for statistical analysis.

Results: There was no significant difference in parameters of autonomic nervous function in both DLB group and PDD group. In the DLB group, from 1 to 2 years before diagnosis, dizziness appeared in 4 of 14 cases, but not in the PDD group. Dizziness of the DLB group was unknown, was not improved by treatment, and lasted for a long time.

Conclusion: Dizziness with unexplained treatment resistance was thought to be a sign of developing DLB 1 to 2 years after this symptom.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/is-dizziness-a-sign-before-dlb-onset/