title: Clinical presentation and differential diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies: a review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dementia with Lewy bodies is one of the most prevalent dementia diagnoses. However, differential diagnosis between dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease with dementia can still be very difficult given the overlap in neuropathology, clinical presentation, cognitive, and neuroanatomical changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature review of dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease with dementia was conducted using PubMed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Accurate diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies is crucial in order to more accurately predict the progression of the disease and negative side effects from pharmacological treatment. The differences and similarities between dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease with dementia are highlighted in order to aid clinicians in differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY, USA.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Morra
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Donovick
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology
keywords: aging; alpha synucleins; dementia; dementia with Lewy bodies; differential diagnosis