Research diagnostic criteria for mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Operationalized research criteria for mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB) were published in 2020. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to review the evidence for the diagnostic clinical features and biomarkers in MCI-LB set out in the criteria.

Methods: MEDLINE, PubMed, and Embase were searched on 9/28/22 for relevant articles. Articles were included if they presented original data reporting the rates of diagnostic features in MCI-LB.

Results: Fifty-seven articles were included. The meta-analysis supported the inclusion of the current clinical features in the diagnostic criteria. Evidence for striatal dopaminergic imaging and meta-iodobenzylguanidine cardiac scintigraphy, though limited, supports their inclusion. Quantitative electroencephalogram (EEG) and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) show promise as diagnostic biomarkers.

Discussion: The available evidence largely supports the current diagnostic criteria for MCI-LB. Further evidence will help refine the diagnostic criteria and understand how best to apply them in clinical practice and research.

Highlights: A meta-analysis of the diagnostic features of MCI-LB was carried out. The four core clinical features were more common in MCI-LB than MCI-AD/stable MCI. Neuropsychiatric and autonomic features were also more common in MCI-LB. More evidence is needed for the proposed biomarkers. FDG-PET and quantitative EEG show promise as diagnostic biomarkers in MCI-LB.