Clinical and neuroimaging characteristics of Chinese dementia with Lewy bodies

PLoS One. 2017 Mar 2;12(3):e0171802. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171802. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common subtype of degenerative dementia. To our knowledge, available information about the clinical features of DLB in China remains limited. Our study therefore aimed to address this issue. Thirty-seven Chinese patients with probable DLB were recruited for this study. All subjects underwent neuropsychological assessment by trained neurologists, as well as undergoing MRI, 11C-PIB PET scans for Aβ deposition and 18F-FDG PET scans for regional cerebral glucose metabolism. Our results showed that the gender ratio of patients was 16:21 (F:M). The mean age of onset was 69.5 ± 9.0 years and the mean age at diagnosis was 71.8 ± 9.1 years. At diagnosis, the prevalence of three core clinical features of DLB was: 64.9% for fluctuating cognition, 73.0% for visual hallucinations and 62.2% for parkinsonism. The result from 11C-PiB PET and 18F-FDG PET scans confirmed Aβ deposition in the cortex and demonstrated hypometabolism in the bilateral temporoparietooccipital region, the frontal lobe, the insular lobe, and the posterior cingulate, precuneus and caudate nuclei. Our study elucidated the clinical features of Chinese DLB patients, and will improve the understanding and the early diagnosis of DLB in Chinese patients.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Aniline Compounds
  • Benzothiazoles / metabolism
  • Biological Transport
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain / metabolism
  • China
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / metabolism
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Lewy Body Disease / diagnostic imaging*
  • Lewy Body Disease / metabolism
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuroimaging*
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Thiazoles

Substances

  • 2-(4'-(methylamino)phenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Aniline Compounds
  • Benzothiazoles
  • Thiazoles
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Glucose

Grants and funding

Support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China to YJ (funding numbers: 81571057) and X-DW (funding numbers: 81300947) [http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/]; Tianjin Science and Technology Support Program to YJ (funding numbers: 12ZCZDSY02900) [http://www.tstc.gov.cn/]; Science and Technology Foundation of Tianjin Municipal Health Bureau to YJ (funding number: 2014KR10) and X-DW (funding number: 2013KY15) [http://www.tjwsj.gov.cn/html/WSJn/portal/index/index.htm]; Key Project of Tianjin Municipal Health Bureau to YJ (funding number: 14KG117) [http://www.tjwsj.gov.cn/html/WSJn/portal/index/index.htm]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.