Differences in the presentation of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (dlb) are: (Select all that apply.)
Explanation & Rationale
A. The use of traditional atypical medication is contraindicated for individuals with LB: Antipsychotic medications can cause severe sensitivity reactions in individuals with Lewy body dementia. Caution is critical because these patients respond poorly to neuroleptic drugs compared to those with Alzheimer’s disease. B. LB usually occurs in individuals under age 60 and AD occurs in individuals only over 60: Both Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia typically affect older adults, most often after age 60. Early-onset cases are rare for both. C. Individuals with LB develop language symptoms, and individuals with AD do not: Language impairment can appear in both conditions, especially in later stages. It is not a distinguishing feature between Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. D. Individuals with AD display impairments in judgment whereas individuals with LB do not: Impaired judgment and executive dysfunction are common in both types of dementia. The distinction lies more in the presence of hallucinations and motor symptoms in Lewy body dementia rather than judgment deficits. E. Individuals with LB develop motor symptoms, and individuals with AD do not: Motor features such as rigidity, tremors, and bradykinesia resemble those of Parkinson’s disease and are characteristic of Lewy body dementia. These symptoms are not typical of Alzheimer’s disease, making this a key difference between the two conditions.