Centre for Policy on Ageing



Dementia with Lewy bodies — diagnosis and management
Author(s)	R Barber, A Panikkar, I G McKeith
Journal title	International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 16, no S1, December 2001
Pages	pp S12-S18
Keywords	Dementia ; Diagnosis ; Drugs ; Medical care ; Literature reviews.
Annotation	Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) accounts for some 20% of degenerative dementia cases in older people. It is characterised by fluctuating cognitive impairment, spontaneous Parkinsonism, and recurrent visual hallucinations. Consensus criteria for probable DLB have high specificity - a positive clinical diagnosis is likely to be correct. Treatment choices must consider effects upon motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. Non-pharmacological management is an essential first step, as is reduction or withdrawal of drugs with potential adverse effects. Neuroleptic sensitivity reactions appear less likely to occur with the new atypical antipsychotics. Cholinesterase inhibitors have been shown in open-label studies and one placebo RCT to be well-tolerated and effective in treating cognitive and psychiatric symptoms in DLB. They may become first-line treatments. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-020118208 A
Classmark	EA: LK7: LLD: LK: 64A
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing

...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.