A new study has uncovered fascinating insights into Lewy body dementia's unique cognitive characteristics that set it apart from Alzheimer's. Researchers found that patients show more diminished attention but better immediate recall, which could help doctors diagnose the condition earlier. The research, led by Ece Bayram, suggests that cognitive assessments can be a game-changer in identifying and managing this complex neurodegenerative disease. By understanding these subtle differences, medical professionals can provide more personalized and effective care for patients.
"Identifying cognitive profiles gave us the outcome necessary to suggest guidelines that practitioners could easily be trained into better tailor plans of care" - Ece Bayramby IANS
New Delhi, Jan 13: Cognitive
problems like more diminished attention, but better immediate recall and memory
may help predict Lewy body dementia, according to a study.
Key Points
1. Diminished
attention helps identify Lewy body dementia
2. Unique
cognitive profile differs from Alzheimer's
3. Early
detection critical for tailored medical care
4. Cognitive assessments more accessible than biomarker testing
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the most common
neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's Disease, yet is usually
misdiagnosed, preventing affected people from accessing care better tailored to
their prognosis.
To aid in early detection which may help improve outcomes,
researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus gathered
information from available studies and established a cognitive profile that can
differentiate DLB from Alzheimer's before the dementia stage hits.
This can "better help inform the direction of
care for people with these diseases", said lead author Ece Bayram,
Assistant Professor of Neurology at the varsity.
The study, published in the Alzheimer's & Dementia
journal, found consistencies in cognitive symptoms among people with DLB
compared to people with Alzheimer's in a meta-analysis of pre-dementia stage
diagnoses.
At the pre-dementia stage, people with DLB
demonstrated more diminished attention, processing speed, and executive
function as well as better immediate recall and memory compared to people with
Alzheimer's.
The team found that people with DLB are also reactive
to certain types of commonly prescribed medications for psychosis, such as
haloperidol, that tend to worsen their condition.
"Identifying cognitive profiles gave us the
outcome necessary to suggest guidelines that practitioners could easily be
trained into better tailor plans of care," Bayram said.
"Furthermore, providing a framework for clinical
assessment versus biomarker testing means more accessibility for practitioners.
It is easier and cheaper to train in providing cognitive assessments than
administering imaging or invasive biomarker tests," Bayram added.
Researchers say identifying the form of dementia early
can guide future planning for both the person with dementia and their care
partners, and ease disease by providing proper symptomatic treatment.
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