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DLB Epidemiology
- 3rd most common dementia (after AD, vascular)
- M > F slightly
- Mean onset 50-85
- Survival 5-8 years
Core Clinical Features (4)
- Fluctuating cognition (alertness, attention) â sometimes lucid, sometimes severely impaired
- Visual hallucinations â well-formed (people, animals), recurrent, often non-threatening
- REM behavior disorder (RBD) â acting out dreams (often prodromal)
- Parkinsonism â bradykinesia, rigidity, postural instability; tremor less prominent
Supportive Clinical
- Severe sensitivity to antipsychotics (can be life-threatening â extrapyramidal crisis)
- Autonomic dysfunction (orthostatic hypotension, urinary, constipation)
- Hypersomnia, daytime sleepiness
- Non-visual hallucinations
- Apathy, anxiety, depression, delusions
- Repeated falls, syncope
DLB vs PD Dementia (PDD)
- Both synucleinopathies
- Same pathology
- Distinguished by timing:
- DLB: cognitive impairment within 1 year of or before parkinsonism
- PDD: motor symptoms > 1 year before cognitive impairment
- Both treated similarly
Pathology
- α-synuclein Lewy bodies (similar to PD but more diffuse, cortical)
- Often co-exists with AD pathology (Aβ plaques)
- Mixed Lewy body + AD pathology in many
Clinical Criteria (McKeith 2017)
- Probable DLB: dementia + ⥠2 core features
- Possible DLB: dementia + 1 core feature + ⥠1 indicative biomarker
Indicative Biomarkers
- DaT-SCAN abnormal (reduced dopamine transporter)
- MIBG cardiac scintigraphy decreased (vs preserved in MSA, AD)
- Polysomnography confirms RBD
Supportive Biomarkers
- Relative preservation of medial temporal lobe on MRI
- Generalized low uptake on FDG-PET (especially occipital â distinguishes from AD)
- Cingulate island sign
Cognitive
- Cholinesterase inhibitors â DLB more responsive than AD!
- Rivastigmine (Exelon)
- Donepezil (Aricept)
- Memantine (modest)
Visual Hallucinations
- Often tolerable if non-distressing
- Pimavanserin (Nuplazid) â selective 5HT-2A inverse agonist; FDA-approved for PD psychosis
- Low-dose quetiapine or clozapine if needed
- AVOID typical antipsychotics + olanzapine + risperidone (severe sensitivity, can be fatal!)
Parkinsonism
- Levodopa cautiously (may worsen hallucinations)
- Lower doses
RBD
- Melatonin 3-12 mg HS
- Clonazepam 0.25-1 mg HS
- Safety measures
Autonomic Dysfunction
- Orthostatic: midodrine, fludrocortisone, droxidopa
- Urinary: avoid anticholinergics
- Constipation: fiber, laxatives
Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI)
Spectrum
- Vascular MCI (VaMCI) â mild
- Vascular dementia (VaD) â full dementia
Subtypes
- Multi-infarct dementia (multiple strokes)
- Strategic infarct dementia (key location: thalamus, angular gyrus)
- Subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVD) â small vessel disease
- Hemorrhagic dementia (CAA, hypertensive bleeds)
- Mixed AD-vascular (very common)
Clinical Features
- Stepwise progression (in classical multi-infarct)
- Gradual decline in subcortical
- Subcortical pattern: psychomotor slowing, executive dysfunction, gait disorder, emotional lability
- Mood + behavior changes
- Pseudobulbar
- Focal neurological signs
- Vascular risk factors
Diagnosis
- Cognitive impairment
- Vascular brain lesions on imaging
- Temporal/anatomic relationship
- Often coexists with AD
Treatment
- No specific DMT for VCI (cholinesterase inhibitors limited evidence)
- Aggressive vascular risk factor management:
- BP control (most important!)
- Statins
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Diet, exercise
- Antiplatelet for non-cardioembolic stroke prevention
- Anticoagulation for AF
- Carotid intervention if indicated
𩺠åºé鿥
- DLB: 4 core (fluctuation + visual hallucinations + RBD + parkinsonism)
- DLB vs PDD: timing (DLB cognitive within 1 yr)
- DLB Tx: ChEI + pimavanserin/low-dose atypical for psychosis; AVOID typical antipsychotics!
- VCI: stepwise (multi-infarct) or gradual (subcortical)
- Mixed AD-vascular very common
- VCI Tx: vascular risk factor management aggressive