This looks like a very important study since it's of autopsy-confirmed DLB and PDD patients and the number is quite large (243 cases).

Analysis "showed an average age at symptom onset of 67 years and a median survival of 5 years from symptom onset."

And here's what the Austrian researchers found in terms of predictors of survival:

* "Older age at onset, fluctuating cognition, and hallucinations at onset predicted shorter survival..."

* "...initial parkinsonism with delayed dementia significantly improved survival."

* "Associated Alzheimer pathology also shortened survival."

* "When adjusted for age, gender, and Alzheimer pathology, fluctuating dementia at symptom onset was identified as best predictor of poor outcome."

I'll try to get the full article.

Robin



Neurodegenerative Diseases. 2007;4(6):428-30. Epub 2007 Oct 9.

Predictors of survival in dementia with lewy bodies and Parkinson dementia.

Jellinger KA, Wenning GK, Seppi K.
Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, Vienna, Austria.

Retrospective analysis of 243 autopsy-confirmed cases of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson disease with dementia (PDD) showed an average age at symptom onset of 67 years and a median survival of 5 years from symptom onset. Older age at onset, fluctuating cognition, and hallucinations at onset predicted shorter survival; initial parkinsonism with delayed dementia significantly improved survival. Associated Alzheimer pathology also shortened survival. When adjusted for age, gender, and Alzheimer pathology, fluctuating dementia at symptom onset was identified as best predictor of poor outcome.

PubMed ID#: 17934326