[Validation].

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The second International Workshop of the Consortium on Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) met to review developments since publication of consensus guidelines for the clinical and pathologic diagnosis of DLB in 1996. The specificity of a clinical diagnosis of probable DLB, made using consensus criteria, is generally high (>85%), but sensitivity of case detection is lower and more variable. Inter-rater reliability for the core clinical features-recurrent visual hallucinations and spontaneous motor features of parkinsonism-is acceptable, but reliable identification of fluctuating cognition remains problematic. Depression and REM sleep behavior disorder may be additional features supportive of a diagnosis of DLB that were not included in the original guideline. RESULTS: It is recommended that the clinical consensus criteria continue to be used in their current format with research efforts focused on increasing sensitivity of case detection. Antiubiquitin immunocytochemistry is the method of choice for routine detection of Lewy bodies for diagnostic purposes in research and clinical practice. The use of alpha-synuclein antibodies to label Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites represents a major methodologic advance since the first DLB workshop. alpha-Synuclein-based methods are likely to be most useful in research laboratories, particularly for clinicopathologic correlative studies. CONCLUSION: Clinical management of DLB patients usually centers on the treatment of noncognitive features. There is now a pressing need to establish appropriately designed randomized controlled trials in DLB. Collaboration between dementia and movement disorder specialists is essential for rapid progress in research and clinical management protocols.

Dementia↗

PubMed1999

Improving adherence to dementia guidelines through education and opinion leaders. A randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Educational methods that encourage physicians to adopt practice guidelines are needed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an educational strategy to increase neurologists' adherence to specialty society-endorsed practice recommendations. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Six urban regions in New York State. PARTICIPANTS: 417 neurologists. INTERVENTION: The educational strategy promoted six recommendations for evaluation and management of dementia. It included a mailed American Academy of Neurology continuing medical education course, practice-based tools, an interactive evidence-based American Academy of Neurology-sponsored seminar led by local opinion leaders, and follow-up mailings. MEASUREMENTS: Neurologists' adherence to guidelines was measured by using detailed clinical scenarios mailed to a baseline group 3 months before the intervention and to intervention and control groups 6 months after the intervention. In one region, patients' medical records were reviewed to determine concordance between neurologists' scenario responses and their actual care. RESULTS: Compared with neurologists in the baseline and control groups, neurologists in the intervention group were more adherent to three of the six recommendations: neuroimaging for patients with dementia only when certain criteria are present (odds ratio, 4.1 [95% CI, 1.9 to 8.9]), referral of all patients with dementia and their families to the Alzheimer's Association (odds ratio, 2.8 [CI, 1.7 to 4.8]), and encouragement of all patients and their families to enroll in the Alzheimer's Association Safe Return Program (odds ratio, 10.8 [CI, 3.5 to 33.2]). For the other three recommendations, adherence did not differ between the intervention and the nonintervention groups. Agreement between scenario responses and actual care ranged from 27% to 99% for the six recommendations and was 95% or more for three of the recommendations. CONCLUSION: A multifaceted educational program can improve physician adoption of practice guidelines.

Dementia↗