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The electroencephalogram in dementia with Lewy bodies
Author(s) -
Barber P. A.,
Varma A. R.,
Lloyd J. J.,
Haworth B.,
Haworth J. S. Snowden,
Neary D
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0404.2000.00006.x
Subject(s) - dementia with lewy bodies , electroencephalography , dementia , medicine , psychology , audiology , disease , psychiatry
Objectives ‐ Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second commonest neurodegenerative cause of dementia. While there is consensus on the clinical diagnostic criteria for DLB, the use of EEG to increase the diagnostic sensitivity has not been substantiated. Material and methods ‐ We studied the resting EEG findings in 18 consecutive patients with DLB and compared them with a control group of 20 patients with "probable'' Alzheimer's disease (AD). We aimed to evaluate the use of EEG in a representative sample of patients with DLB. Results ‐ All patients with DLB fulfilled accepted clinical criteria for DLB. The DLB group had a more severe dementia than the AD group, as measured by the Mini‐ Mental State Examination (MMSE) test (DLB meanMMSE 9.4 and AD mean MMSE 17.2) despite a similar duration of overall severity of illness. The EEG was slow in both groups, predominantly in the 4±7 Hz range. Although there was no statistically signifcant difference in the EEG findings between the DLB and AD groups, there was a correlation between the EEG score and MMSE score (Spearman Rank correlation rs=x0.61, < P0.001). Conclusion ‐ These findings suggest that although patients with DLB have a more aggressive course than AD, EEG abnormalities do not differ in the 2 groups. However, we believe the EEG provides important supporting diagnostic information in DLB.