Abstract
Dementia is one of the major health issues around the globe which can severely affect the daily functioning of patients and their caregivers. There is no pharmacological method that entirely cures dementia, however, early detection, precognitive medication and treatment of concomitant illnesses and behavioural symptoms can significantly moderate cognitive decline as well as improve the quality of life patients with dementia. Here we present a case of Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), which is the second most common form of neurodegenerative dementia in population above 65 years old. Despite its common occurrence, this disease is rarely detected, due to misleading symptoms, in its early stage. DLB often starts with depressive or psychotic symptoms, whilst cognitive decline is not apparent yet. Clinical features of DLB, as well as challenges of diagnosis and management are presented accordingly.
References
(1) Utsumi K, Fukatsu R, Yamada R, Takamuru Y, Hara Y, Yasumura S. Characteristics of initial symptoms and symptoms at diagnosis in probable dementia with Lewy body disease: incidence of symptoms and gender differences. Psychogeriatrics 2020. DOI:10.1111/psyg.12586.
(2) Chin KS, Teodorczuk A, Watson R. Dementia with Lewy bodies: Challenges in the diagnosis and management. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2019; 53(4):291-303. DOI:10.1177/0004867419835029.
(3) Suantio AM, Huang HL, Kwok CSN; Teo DCH; Nguyen MH. FDG-PET in suspected dementia with Lewy. BMC Geriatr 2019; 19(1):150. DOI:10.1186/s12877-019-1166-3.
(4) McKeith IG, Boeve BF, Dickson DW, Halliday G, Taylor JP, Weintraub D, et al. Diagnosis and management of dementia with Lewy bodies Fourth consensus report of the DLB Consortium. Neurology 2017; 89(1):88-100. DOI:10.1212/WNL.0000000000004058.
(5) Taylor JP, McKeith IG, Burn DJ, Boeve BF, Weintraub D, Bamford C, et al. New evidence on the management of Lewy body dementia. Lancet Neurol 2020; 19(2):157-169. DOI:10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30153-X.
(6) Ishii K. Diagnostic imaging of dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and normal pressure hydrocephalus. Jpn J Radiol 2019; 38(1):64-76. DOI:10.1007/s11604-019-00881-9.
(7) Oppedal K, Ferreira D, Cavallin L, Lemstra AW, Ten Kate M, Padovani A, et al. A signature pattern of cortical atrophy in dementia with Lewy bodies: A study on 333 patients from the European DLB consortium. Alzheimers Dement 2019; 15(3):400-409. DOI:10.1016/j.jalz.2018.09.011.
(8) Yamada M, Komatsu J, Nakamura K, Sakai K, Samuraki-Yokohama M, Nakajima K, et al. Diagnostic Criteria for Dementia with Lewy Bodies: Updates and Future Directions. J Mov Disord 2020; 13(1):1-10. DOI:10.14802/jmd.19052.
(9) Fujishiro H, Iseki E, Nakamura S, Kasanuki K, Chiba Y, Ota K, et al. Dementia with Lewy Bodies: early diagnostic challenges. Psychogeriatrics 2013; 13(2):128-138. DOI:10.1111/psyg12005.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.