Associations among Braak stage, Parkinsonian gait, cognition, and functional status in autopsy-confirmed dementia with Lewy bodies.

Objective: Compromised functional abilities in older adults with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) represent a significant burden to families and frequently lead to institutionalization. Contributing factors to this compromise are poorly understood.

Methods: Using data collected at a first study visit, multiple regression modeling was used to examine the associations between Braak staged Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology, Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) status, Parkinsonian gait, cognition, and functional status from a cohort of 102 cases with an autopsy-confirmed diagnosis of dementia stemming from combined Lewy body and AD pathology.

Results: On average, 60% of functional activities were compromised per case. Worse functional status was associated with older age at first study visit, compromised cognitive status, and Parkinsonian gait after controlling for gender, mental status, and other covariates. Worse cognitive status predicted worse functional status in both the low and high Braak groups.

Conclusions: Older persons with DLB presenting with moderately compromised cognition and Parkinsonian gait should be expected to have impaired functional abilities. Providing these patients with supportive environments may help them to remain independent for longer periods of time.