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Updated: Sep 18, 2025

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Exploring frailty in dementia with Lewy bodies: A pilot, cross-sectional study

Fabrizia D'Antonio1,2, Massimiliano Panigutti1, Alice Teghil2,3

  • 1Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|June 26, 2025
PubMed

Insights

This study found that frailty is associated with parkinsonism and visuo-spatial issues in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Frailty may explain some differences in how DLB affects individuals, but not all symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Geriatrics
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a common neurodegenerative disorder.
  • Frailty is a state of increased vulnerability to stressors, common in older adults.
  • The relationship between frailty and core DLB features requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of frailty in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) patients.
  • To examine the association between frailty and the core clinical features of DLB.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of clinical charts from 48 DLB outpatients.
  • Calculation of a Frailty Index (FI) using 39 multidimensional clinical deficits.
  • Correlation analysis between FI scores and DLB symptom severity.

Main Results:

  • Frailty Index scores ranged from 0.08 to 0.54, with a median of 0.26.
  • FI demonstrated a significant correlation with the severity of parkinsonism and visuo-spatial impairment.
  • No significant association was found between FI and visual hallucinations, fluctuations, or REM-sleep behavior disorder.

Conclusions:

  • Frailty is present in DLB patients and is linked to specific core features.
  • Frailty may contribute to the phenotypic variability observed in DLB.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise role of frailty in DLB pathogenesis and clinical presentation.
Keywords:
Alzheimer's diseaseFrailty IndexLewy bodydementiadementia with Lewy bodiesfrailty

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