title: Motor performance differentiates individuals with Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Differential diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is challenging. Comparative motor profiles of these neurodegenerative disorders may aid in earlier diagnosis but have not been extensively studied.
  
  
  
  Groups were rigorously matched by age, education, and sex. DLB/PDD participants were matched by Mini-Mental State Examination Score to individuals with AD and by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor scores to individuals with PD. Gait, balance, dual task walking and hand dexterity measures were compared between a combined group (n=21) of individuals with Lewy body dementia (LBD) consisting of those with DLB (n=11) and PDD (n=10) to individuals with PD (n=21) or AD (n=21).
  
  
  
  Individuals at the same disease stage with LBD walked significantly slower with shorter stride lengths (p<0.05), demonstrated poorer balance on both the Tinetti and Berg Balance Scale, and poorer performance on dual-task and figure-of-eight walking compared to PD and AD (p<0.05 for all) groups. Upper extremity coordination on the 9-hole peg test differentiated LBD from both PD and AD and was the only motor test in which individuals with AD performed worse than those with PD. Tinetti balance subscores were significantly lower in PDD compared to DLB participants (10.4±2.3 versus 12.8±2.3; p=0.027).
  
  
  
  Motor features distinguish individuals with LBD from those with AD and PD. Measures of gait, balance and finger dexterity provide an additional means of differentiating individuals with LBD from those with AD and PD.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Division of Physical Therapy, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address: nora.fritz@wayne.edu.
authors.forename: Nora E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Division of Physical Therapy, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address: deb.kegelmeyer@osumc.edu.
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kegelmeyer
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Division of Physical Therapy, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address: kloos.4@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Anne D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kloos
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address: shannon.linder@osumc.edu.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address: ariane.park@osumc.edu.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address: maria.kataki@osumc.edu.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kataki
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address: anahita.adeli@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anahita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adeli
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address: punit.agrawal@osumc.edu.
authors.forename: Punit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address: doug.scharre@osumc.edu.
authors.forename: Douglas W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Scharre
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Columbus, OH, United States; The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address: nora.fritz@wayne.edu.
authors.forename: Sandra K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kostyk
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004856:Postural Balance
keywords: Balance; Dual-task assessment; Gait; Hand dexterity; Lewy body; Parkinson disease