Performance on the dementia rating scale in Parkinson's disease with dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies: comparison with progressive supranuclear palsy and Alzheimer's disease.
BACKGROUND
The relation between dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) is unknown.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the cognitive profiles of patients with DLB and PDD, and compare those with the performance of patients with a subcortical dementia (progressive supranuclear palsy) and a cortical dementia (Alzheimer's disease).


METHODS
Survey of cognitive features.


METHODS
General community in Rogaland county, Norway, and a university dementia and movement disorder research centre in the USA.


METHODS
60 patients with DLB, 35 with PDD, 49 with progressive supranuclear palsy, and 29 with Alzheimer's disease, diagnosed by either standardised clinical procedures and criteria (all PDD and Alzheimer cases and 76% of cases of progressive supranuclear palsy), or necropsy (all DLB cases and 24% of cases of progressive supranuclear palsy). Level of dementia severity was matched using the total score on the dementia rating scale adjusted for age and education.


METHODS
Dementia rating scale subscores corrected for age.


RESULTS
No significant differences between the dementia rating scale subscores in the PDD and DLB groups were found in the severely demented patients; in patients with mild to moderate dementia the conceptualisation subscore was higher in PDD than in DLB (p = 0.03). Compared with Alzheimer's disease, PDD and DLB had higher memory subscores (p < 0.001) but lower initiation and perseveration (p = 0.008 and p=0.021) and construction subscores (p = 0.009 and p = 0.001). DLB patients had a lower conceptualisation subscore (p = 0.004). Compared with progressive supranuclear palsy, PDD and DLB patients had lower memory subscores (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The cognitive profiles of patients with DLB and PDD were similar, but they differed from those of patients with Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. The cognitive pattern in DLB and PDD probably reflects the superimposition of subcortical deficits upon deficits typically associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Aarsland
D
D
Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Psychiatric Clinic, Central Hospital of Rogaland, Stavanger, and School of Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway. daa@post.rps.no
Litvan
I
I
Salmon
D
D
Galasko
D
D
Wentzel-Larsen
T
T
Larsen
J P
JP
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000145:classification*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013494:Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*