Demography, diagnostics, and medication in dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease with dementia: data from the Swedish Dementia Quality Registry (SveDem)

Figures & data

Figure 1 Histogram plots for frequency distribution of age at diagnosis in patients with DLB and patients with PDD.

Abbreviations: DLB, dementia with Lewy bodies; PDD, Parkinson’s disease with dementia.

Figure 2 Histogram plots for frequency distribution of MMSE score in patients with DLB and patients with PDD.

Abbreviations: MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination; DLB, dementia with Lewy bodies; PDD, Parkinson’s disease with dementia.

Table 1 Baseline and demographic characteristics of patients suffering from DLB (n = 487) or PDD (n = 297)

Characteristic	DLB (n = 487)	PDD (n = 297)	Effect size	P-value
Gender, %			OR = 1.06	0.706*
Female	37.4	38.7	(95% CI = 0.79 to 1.42)
Male	62.6	61.3
Age at diagnosis (years), mean (SD)	76.8 (7.0)	74.8 (6.9)	MD = −1.96 (95% CI = −2.97 to −0.95)	<0.001†
MMSE score, mean (SD)	21.4 (5.1)	20.9 (5.2)	MD = −0.53 (95% CI = −1.30 to +0.24)	0.177†
Living place, %			OR = 1.50	0.079*
Own house	89.0	83.8	(95% CI = 0.99 to 2.28)
Nursing home (temporarily)	6.6	7.2	(own house versus nursing home)
Nursing home (permanently)	4.4	9.0
Coresident, %			OR = 0.63	0.007*
Yes	34.6	25.0	(95% CI: 0.45 to 0.88)
No	65.4	75.0
Day care (at referral), %			OR = 0.62	0.371*
Yes	2.7	1.7	(95% CI = 0.22 to 1.77)
No	97.3	98.3
Home care (at referral), %			OR = 0.98	0.969*
Yes	3.1	3.0	(95% CI = 0.42 to 2.28)
No	96.9	97.0

Notes:

* Pearson’s chi-square statistics;

† Independent samples t-test.

Abbreviations: DLB, dementia with Lewy bodies; n, number; PDD, Parkinson’s disease with dementia; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; SD, standard deviation; MD, mean difference; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination.

Table 2 Comparison of diagnostic and medication characteristics of patients suffering from DLB (n = 487) versus PDD patients (n = 297)

Variable	DLB (n = 487)	PDD (n = 297)	Unadjusted OR (95% CI)	P-value	Adjusted OR (95% CI)	P-value*
Diagnostic tests, %
Blood tests	96.0	91.4	2.24 (1.21–4.14)	0.009†	2.45 (1.28–4.69)	0.007
MMSE	97.2	96.8	1.15 (0.48–2.72)	0.755†	1.23 (0.48–3.13)	0.667
Simple cognitive tests (eg, clock test, AQT)	90.8	76.0	3.12 (2.06–4.71)	<0.001†	3.30 (2.11–5.15)	<0.001
Magnetic resonance imaging	22.2	22.7	0.97 (0.68–1.38)	0.865†	1.15 (0.79–1.68)	0.460
CT	86.4	81.0	1.49 (1.00–2.21)	0.048†	1.43 (0.94–2.17)	0.094
SPECT/PET/DaT scan	30.3	17.8	2.01 (1.40–2.88)	<0.001†	2.34 (1.60–3.43)	<0.001
Lumbar puncture	46.7	26.5	2.43 (1.77–3.34)	<0.001†	3.25 (2.29–4.63)	<0.001
Electroencephalography	21.2	17.5	1.27 (0.88–1.85)	0.204†	1.30 (0.88–1.93)	0.192
Neuropsychological tests	29.2	20.7	1.58 (1.11–2.23)	0.010†	1.94 (1.33–2.83)	0.001
Assessment by occupational therapist	44.1	38.5	1.26 (0.94–1.70)	0.127†	1.23 (0.90–1.67)	0.200
Assessment by physiotherapist	22.8	17.5	1.39 (0.96–2.01)	0.082†	1.51 (1.02–2.23)	0.038
Assessment by speech therapist	1.5	3.8	0.39 (0.15–1.02)	0.046†	0.46 (0.17–1.23)	0.123
Total number of tests, mean (SD)	4.9 (1.7)	4.1 (1.6)	1.31 (1.19–1.43)	<0.001‡	1.43 (1.28–1.58)	<0.001
Medication (at the time of diagnosis), %
Cholinesterase inhibitors	76.1	56.2	2.48 (1.81–3.40)	<0.001†	2.55 (1.83–3.55)	<0.001
NMDA antagonists	14.7	10.4	1.49 (0.95–2.36)	0.084†	1.61 (0.98–2.62)	0.057
Antidepressants	33.6	38.6	0.81 (0.59–1.09)	0.167†	0.82 (0.59–1.14)	0.249
Antipsychotics	17.6	15.1	1.20 (0.80–1.79)	0.375†	1.10 (0.72–1.69)	0.660
Anxiolytics	13.6	10.2	1.39 (0.87–2.21)	0.167†	1.48 (0.88–2.51)	0.139
Hypnotics	18.4	14.3	1.35 (0.90–2.02)	0.149†	1.29 (0.83–1.99)	0.260
Cardiovascular drugs	58.7	56.5	1.09 (0.81–1.47)	0.569†	1.07 (0.78–1.47)	0.676
Total number of all medications (at the time of referral), mean (SD)	4.6 (3.0)	6.4 (3.2)	0.83 (0.79–0.88)	<0.001‡	0.81 (0.77–0.86)	<0.001

Notes: Adjustment is performed on the basis of significant differences in demographic variables – onset age and coresidency – and PDD group is considered as the reference one for all OR calculations.

* Binary logistic regression model;

† Pearson’s chi-square statistics;

‡ Independent samples t-test.

Abbreviations: DLB, dementia with Lewy bodies; n, number; PDD, Parkinson’s disease with dementia; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination; AQT, A Quick Test for Cognitive Speed; CT, computed tomography; SPECT, single-photon emission computed tomography; PET, positron emission tomography; DaT, ioflupane iodine-123; SD, standard deviation; NMDA, N-methyl-D-aspartate.

Figure 3 Spearman’s correlation between either patients’ age or dementia severity represented by MMSE score and total number of diagnostic tests.

Notes: (A) Patients with DLB (Spearman rho = −0.292; P < 0.001). (B) Patients with PDD (Spearman rho = −0.264; P < 0.001). (C) Patients with DLB (Spearman rho = +0.167; P < 0.001). (D) Patients with PDD (Spearman rho = +0.131; P = 0.030).
Abbreviations: MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination; DLB, dementia with Lewy bodies; PDD, Parkinson’s disease with dementia.

Figure 4 Spearman’s correlation between patients’ age and dementia severity represented by MMSE score.

Notes: (A) Patients with DLB (Spearman rho = −0.127; P = 0.007). (B) Patients with PDD (Spearman rho = −0.173; P = 0.004).
Abbreviations: MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination; DLB, dementia with Lewy bodies; PDD, Parkinson’s disease with dementia.