Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate and compare executive dysfunction by using a newly designed informant-based simple questionnaire among patients with DLB and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Background: Executive dysfunction is essential for the diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). However, executive dysfunction is difficult to be acquired from clinical history.

Method: This is a retrospective analysis of data from a project of history-based computerized dementia diagnostic system. Executive dysfunction and other clinical information of normal control (NC), patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), DLB, and AD were analyzed and compared.

Results: A total of 714 individuals were studied, including 99 NC, 148 MCI, 128 DLB, and 339 AD. The total score of executive dysfunction questionnaire is highest in DLB (3.7±2.2), followed by AD (2.7±2.0), MCI (0.4±0.7), and NC (0.1±0.3). Compared to NC or MCI, AD/DLB showed significantly higher total score and a cut-off score of 1/2 of total score was suggested for the discrimination of NC/MCI from AD/DLB (sensitivity 0.722; specificity 0.972; AUC 0.909). Total scores of our simple questionnaire had good reverse correlation with the mental manipulation subscore of the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) in different stages of dementia.

Conclusion: Our study showed that the executive function questionnaire was a practical tool to discriminate dementia patients with either DLB or AD from non-demented elderly. This rapid screening tool can be applied in clinical practice as well as in bedside to detect executive dysfunction in dementia.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/an-informant-based-simple-questionnaire-for-executive-function-assessment-in-dementia-with-lewy-bodies-and-alzheimers-disease/