This short Danish abstract has a good message for US physicians as well: keep DLB in mind when prescribing antipsychotics since 50% of DLB patients have severe sensitivity to these meds.
Robin



Ugeskrift for Laeger. 2010 May 31;172(22):1675-8.

[Lewy body dementia]
[Article in Danish]

Ziebell M, Korbo L, Hasselbalch SG.
Neurobiologisk Forskningsenhed, Denmark.

Abstract
Newer estimations indicate a considerable increase in the number of elderly people with dementia and Lewy body dementia (DLB) in Denmark. Simultaneously, the prescription of antipsychotics to elderly patients remains very high in Denmark. This report reflects on the importance of keeping DLB in mind when physicians encounter elderly demented patients with visual hallucinations, fluctuations and parkinsonism, as 50% of patients with DLB have severe sensitivity to antipsychotics. With new clinical criteria including SPECT of dopaminergic transporters, diagnosis has become sufficiently accurate to differentiate between the two diagnoses.

PubMed ID#: 20525466 (see pubmed.gov for this abstract only)