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Prevalence of Dementia With Lewy Body Symptoms : A Cross-Sectional Study in 40 Swedish Nursing Homes

Zahirovic, Iris LU ; Wattmo, Carina LU ; Torisson, Gustav LU orcid ; Minthon, Lennart LU and Londos, Elisabet LU (2016) In Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 17(8). p.706-711
Abstract

Objectives: To investigate and establish the prevalence of dementia with Lewy body (DLB) symptoms in all nursing home (NH) residents in Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden. DLB is a neurocognitive disorder with core features, such as parkinsonism, visual hallucinations, and fluctuating cognition/excessive daytime sleepiness, and supportive features, such as rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. DLB is often misdiagnosed and unrecognized in elderly individuals. Design: A questionnaire, designed to cover the main DLB symptoms, according to consensus criteria from the third report of the DLB Consortium from 2005, was distributed in 40 NHs. The questionnaires were completed by the nursing staff after receiving specifically... (More)

Objectives: To investigate and establish the prevalence of dementia with Lewy body (DLB) symptoms in all nursing home (NH) residents in Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden. DLB is a neurocognitive disorder with core features, such as parkinsonism, visual hallucinations, and fluctuating cognition/excessive daytime sleepiness, and supportive features, such as rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. DLB is often misdiagnosed and unrecognized in elderly individuals. Design: A questionnaire, designed to cover the main DLB symptoms, according to consensus criteria from the third report of the DLB Consortium from 2005, was distributed in 40 NHs. The questionnaires were completed by the nursing staff after receiving specifically designed teaching. Medication lists were collected from the Swedish national medication dispensing system. Setting: Nursing homes. Participants: Of 650 eligible residents, 620 (96%) were included. The mean age was 86.0 ± 7.5 years; 467 (75%) were women. Results: We found a prevalence of 16% of 2 or more main symptoms of DLB in the NH residents. However, when a wider more inclusive parkinsonism variable was used, the prevalence of DLB symptoms increased to 20%. Conclusion: We conclude that elderly with 2 or more DLB symptoms may constitute between 16% and 20% of all residents in NHs. This emphasizes the importance of identification of DLB and guides clinicians to deliver appropriate treatment for this fragile patient group.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Dementia with Lewy bodies, Elderly, Nursing homes, Parkinson disease dementia, Prevalence
in
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
volume
17
issue
8
pages
706 - 711
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:84975473550
  • pmid:27168051
  • wos:000380759700007
ISSN
1525-8610
DOI
10.1016/j.jamda.2016.03.017
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d4b32215-7c37-4b21-a6d9-92a4872fada7
date added to LUP
2016-07-21 12:31:54
date last changed
2024-01-04 10:16:38
@article{d4b32215-7c37-4b21-a6d9-92a4872fada7,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives: To investigate and establish the prevalence of dementia with Lewy body (DLB) symptoms in all nursing home (NH) residents in Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden. DLB is a neurocognitive disorder with core features, such as parkinsonism, visual hallucinations, and fluctuating cognition/excessive daytime sleepiness, and supportive features, such as rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. DLB is often misdiagnosed and unrecognized in elderly individuals. Design: A questionnaire, designed to cover the main DLB symptoms, according to consensus criteria from the third report of the DLB Consortium from 2005, was distributed in 40 NHs. The questionnaires were completed by the nursing staff after receiving specifically designed teaching. Medication lists were collected from the Swedish national medication dispensing system. Setting: Nursing homes. Participants: Of 650 eligible residents, 620 (96%) were included. The mean age was 86.0 ± 7.5 years; 467 (75%) were women. Results: We found a prevalence of 16% of 2 or more main symptoms of DLB in the NH residents. However, when a wider more inclusive parkinsonism variable was used, the prevalence of DLB symptoms increased to 20%. Conclusion: We conclude that elderly with 2 or more DLB symptoms may constitute between 16% and 20% of all residents in NHs. This emphasizes the importance of identification of DLB and guides clinicians to deliver appropriate treatment for this fragile patient group.</p>}},
  author       = {{Zahirovic, Iris and Wattmo, Carina and Torisson, Gustav and Minthon, Lennart and Londos, Elisabet}},
  issn         = {{1525-8610}},
  keywords     = {{Dementia with Lewy bodies; Elderly; Nursing homes; Parkinson disease dementia; Prevalence}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{706--711}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of the American Medical Directors Association}},
  title        = {{Prevalence of Dementia With Lewy Body Symptoms : A Cross-Sectional Study in 40 Swedish Nursing Homes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2016.03.017}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jamda.2016.03.017}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}