Abstract

GARZON-GIRALDO, MARÍA LUZ DEY; MONTOYA-ARENAS, DAVID ANDRÉS  and  CARVAJAL-CASTRILLON, JULIÁN. Neuropsychological profile: Parkinson’s Disease/Lewy Body Dementia. CES Med. [online]. 2015, vol.29, n.2, pp.255-270. ISSN 0120-8705.

Lewy body dementia and Parkinson´s disease are two frequent syndromes that share similar signs and symptoms, especially during intermediate and chronic phases of each particular clinical picture, making an accurate diagnosis very difficult to establish. Parkinson’s disease is a slow and progressive disorder characterized by tremor at rest, stiffness, bradykinesia and postural imbalance. Many neurocognitive and behavioral symptoms such as depression, executive and attentional dysfunction, lower verbal fluency and immediate memory failures can appear in early stages of the disease, increasing and progressing as a secondary dementia develops. Lewy body dementia is considered a neurodegenerative disorder associated to Lewy bodies in both cortical and subcortical regions. It is characterized by the presence of extrapyramidal features, cognitive fluctuation and visual hallucinations. Neurocognitive and behavioral symptoms fluctuate concerning level of consciousness, executive and attentional function, episodic memory and the presence/absence of visual hallucinations. Subtle differences in both disorders demand an exhaustive review of symptom´s evolution. Neuropsychological evaluation as a diagnostic tool is limited. It cannot replace neuroimaging studies and other neuropathological findings for a definite diagnosis, but determines each neuropsychological profile in particular for a more accurate diagnosis.

Keywords : Neurocognitive disorders; Parkinson’s disease; Lewy body dementia.

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