New and Noteworthy Information—December 2015

The Lewy Body Composite Risk Score (LBCRS) increases the diagnostic probability that Lewy body pathology is contributing to dementia and may improve clinical detection and enrollment for clinical trials, according to a study published September 1 in Alzheimer’s Dementia. The LBCRS was tested in a consecutive series of 256 patients and compared with the Clinical Dementia Rating and gold-standard measures of cognition, motor symptoms, function, and behavior. Mean LBCRS scores were significantly different between patients with dementia with Lewy bodies and those with Alzheimer’s disease. Mean LBCRS scores also were significantly different between patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to dementia with Lewy bodies and patients with MCI due to Alzheimer’s disease. The LBCRS also was able to discriminate between dementia with Lewy bodies and other causes of dementia.

—Kimberly Williams