New Three-Minute Test Detects Lewy Body Disease

Something I will need to look into. 
http://www.biosciencetechnology.com/news/2015/10/new-three-minute-test-detects-lewy-body-disease?
A neurologist from Florida Atlantic University has developed a new diagnostic assessment that quickly and effectively diagnoses Lewy Body disease (LBD) in about three minutes, according to a recent study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
Lewy Body disease is the second most common type of progressive dementia, according to the Mayo Clinic, and affects approximately 1.3 million Americans.
The Lewy Body Dementia Association says the disease is widely accepted to be highly underdiagnosed and is the most frequently misdiagnosed form of dementia.
The new test, called the “Lewy Body Composite Risk Score” (LBCRS), developed by James E. Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., professor of clinical biomedical science at FAU, is a simple, one page-survey, that includes yes or no questions for a clinician to complete.  The structured questions look at six non-motor features that are present in patients with LBD, but are much less common in other forms of dementia.  The tool helps clinician assess whether a patient has rest tremor, postural instability, rigidity, or bradykensia, without having to grade each extremity.

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For the study, the test was administered in a “real-world” clinic setting, to 256 patients who were compared with the clinical dementia rating and gold standard measures of cognition, motor symptoms, function and behavior.  Each patient had a 30-minute test battery during their visit to assess cognitive function, and caregivers filled out questionnaires to determine the presence and severity of non-cognitive symptoms.  Once all other rating scales were scored, the LBCRS was completed, and a diagnosis was presented to the family and patient.
According to the study, the LBCRS was able to distinguish between Alzheimer’s disease and LBD with 96.8 percent accuracy, and sensitivity of 90 percent and specificity of 87 percent.
“Most patients never receive an evaluation by a neurologist skilled in the diagnosis of Lewy body dementia, and significant delays and misdiagnoses occur in most patients with this disease,” Galvin said.  “This new tool has the potential to provide a clearer, more accurate picture for those patients who are unable to be seen by specialists, hastening the correct diagnoses and reducing the strain and burden placed on patients and caregivers.”
The new test may help improve patients’ ability to receive the appropriate therapies sooner, and reduce the risk of being prescribed inappropriate medications.  It could also help identify appropriate inclusion and exclusion for clinical trials.
“Early detection of Lewy body dementias will be important to enable future interventions at the earliest stages when they are likely to be most effective,” Galvin said. “Our study provides evidence-based methodology that will have applications in clinical practice, participation in clinical trials, prevent studies, community surveys, and biomarkers research.”