Fall-related injuries in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease

Eur J Neurol. 2000 Jan;7(1):77-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1468-1331.2000.00021.x.

Abstract

Repeated falls are reported as one of the clinical characteristics in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). We examined the incidence of fall-related injuries in 561 dementia patients with various clinical diagnoses, including DLB and Alzheimer's disease (AD), in a ward established for dementia research. The incidence of fall-related injuries was significantly higher in DLB patients (10.7%) than in AD patients (1.1%) (P < 0.001). The high incidence in those patients with DLB cannot be attributed to Parkinsonism because none of the DLB patients with injuries showed extrapyramidal sign. Our observations suggest that patients with a clinical diagnosis of DLB have a high risk of fall-related injuries, even though they do not show Parkinsonism. An appropriate clinical discrimination between DLB and AD is recommended to manage and prevent fall-related injuries.

MeSH terms

  • Accidental Falls / statistics & numerical data*
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnosis
  • Alzheimer Disease / epidemiology*
  • Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology
  • Comorbidity
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Length of Stay
  • Lewy Body Disease / diagnosis
  • Lewy Body Disease / epidemiology*
  • Lewy Body Disease / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Wounds and Injuries / epidemiology*