Please go to our NEW YORK RESOURCES/PROFESSIONALS section on this website for a list of doctors who are aware of LBD.
Per National Institutes of Health, Pub No. 15-7907 and:
https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/lewy-body-dementia/diagnosis Retrieved June, 2016
Who can Diagnose LBD?
Many physicians and other medical professionals are not familiar with LBD, so patients may consult several doctors before receiving a diagnosis. Visiting a family doctor is often the first step for people who are experiencing changes in thinking, movement, or behavior. However, neurologists—doctors who specialize in disorders of the brain and nervous system—generally have the expertise needed to diagnose LBD. Geriatric psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, and geriatricians may also be skilled in diagnosing the condition.
Tests Used to Diagnose LBD
There are no brain scans or medical tests that can definitively diagnose LBD. Currently, LBD can be diagnosed with certainty only by a brain autopsy after death.
Doctors perform physical and neurological examinations and various tests to distinguish LBD from other illnesses. An evaluation may include:
- Medical history and examination—A review of previous and current illnesses, medications, and current symptoms and tests of movement and memory give the doctor valuable information.
- Medical tests—Laboratory studies can help rule out other diseases and hormonal or vitamin deficiencies that can be associated with cognitive changes.
- Brain imaging—Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging can detect brain shrinkage or structural abnormalities and help rule out other possible causes of dementia or movement symptoms.
- Neuropsychological tests—These tests are used to assess memory and other cognitive functions and can help identify affected brain regions.
3 Minute Test
Dr. James Galvin, a leading neuroscientist at Florida Atlantic University, has developed a 3 minute test for clinical signs and symptoms of LBD. The test consists of 10 yes-or-no questions: 4 covering motor symptoms (slow movements, rigidity or stiffness, balance problems with or without falls, and a resting tremor) and 6 covering non-motor symptoms (excessive daytime sleepiness, episodes of illogical thinking, frequent staring spells, visual hallucinations, acting out dreams, and orthostatic hypotension).
This test should be done by your physician.
| Please rate the following physical findings being present or absent for the past 6 months and symptoms as being present or absent for at least 3 times over the past 6 months. Does the patient… | Yes | No |
| Have slowness in initiating and maintaining movement or have frequent hesitations or pauses during movement? | ||
| Have rigidity (with or without cogwheeling) on passive range of motion in any of the 4 extremities? | ||
| Have a loss of postural stability (balance) with or without frequent falls? | ||
| Have a tremor at rest in any of the 4 extremities or head? | ||
| Have excessive daytime sleepiness and/or seem drowsy and lethargic when awake? | ||
| Have episodes of illogical thinking or incoherent, random thoughts? | ||
| Have frequent staring spells or periods of blank looks? | ||
| Have visual hallucinations (see things not really there)? | ||
| Appear to act out his/her dreams (kick, punch, thrash, shout or scream)? | ||
| Have orthostatic hypotension or other signs of autonomic insufficiency? | ||
| Total |
The Lewy Body Composite Risk Score details:
http://med.fau.edu/research/Lewy%20Body%20Composite%20Risk%20Score%20Form%20and%20Instructions.pdf
Written Tests
A short written test, which assesses your memory and thinking skills, can be done in less than 10 minutes in your doctor’s office. It’s not generally useful in distinguishing Lewy body dementia from Alzheimer’s disease but can indicate dementia. Longer tests can take several hours, but help identify Lewy body dementia. – per the Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lewy-body-dementia/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20025038
National Memory Screening Programs
This is offered in New York by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA):
http://www.afascreenings.org/search-results?country=US&filter=all&province=NY
SCANS
DaTSCAN SPECT helps to differentiate probable dementia with Lewy bodies from Alzheimer’s disease. It is indicated for detecting loss of functional dopaminergic neuron terminals in the striatum. – Per the British Journal of Medical Practitioners
Please go to our NEW YORK RESOURCES/PROFESSIONALS section on this website for a list of doctors who are aware of LBD.
