Study Finds Possible Predictor of Dementia With Lewy Bodies
A lack of shrinkage in the hippocampus may signal that people with mild cognitive impairment will go on to develop dementia with Lewy bodies rather than Alzheimer’s disease dementia, according to a study published online in Neurology.
“Being able to identify people who are at risk for dementia with Lewy bodies is important so they can receive the correct treatments early on,” said researcher Kejal Kantarci, MD, of the Mayo Clinic. “Early diagnosis also helps doctors know what drugs to avoid — up to 50 percent of people with dementia with Lewy bodies have severe reactions to antipsychotic drugs.”
The study involved 160 people with mild cognitive impairment who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans to measure hippocampus size. They also underwent annual clinical evaluations.
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Over an average of 2 years of follow up, 38% of participants progressed to Alzheimer’s disease dementia and 13% progressed to probable dementia with Lewy bodies, according to the study.
Participants with no hippocampal shrinkage, researchers found, were 5.8 times more likely to develop probable dementia with Lewy bodies than those who had hippocampal shrinkage. Among patients who developed probable dementia with Lewy bodies, 85% had normal hippocampal volume. Among those who developed Alzheimer’s disease, 61% had hippocampal shrinkage.
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The relationship was even stronger, according to researchers, when the study looked solely at people whose cognitive impairment did not include memory problems.
Dr. Kantarci said the findings should be confirmed through future studies that use autopsies for final diagnosis.
—Jolynn Tumolo
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