Lewy body prevalence in the aging brain: relationship to neuropsychiatric disorders, Alzheimer-type pathology and catecholaminergic nuclei

doi:10.1016/0022-510X(90)90037-N

Journal of the Neurological Sciences

Volume 100, Issues 1–2, December 1990, Pages 223-233

https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-510X(90)90037-N Get rights and content

Summary

In a survey to determine the occurrence of Lewy bodies in the elderly, the prevalence rate of Lewy body formation was found to be critically dependent on the psychiatric status of control cases. In 131 controls between 51 and 100 years screened to exclude psychiatric and neurological disorders, the Lewy body prevalence rate was 2.3%, but inclusion of cases with psychiatric disorders other than Alzheimer's disease increased the prevalence rate to 9%. An age-related decline in substantia nigra and locus coeruleus neuron numbers was observed in the control group. Brain stem Lewy body formation (found in 3 cases) was not necessarily linked with neuron loss in substantia nigra, though in two of the cases significant locus coeruleus neuron loss was observed. Within the control group, there was no obvious relationship of Lewy body formation to the extent of Alzheimer-type pathology. These findings are compatible with the disease specificity of Lewy bodies and suggest that Lewy body disorders have a relatively short preclinical phase in which Lewy body formation may precede both locus coeruleus and substantia nigra neuron loss. The increase of Lewy body positive cases found when individuals with psychiatric disorders are included in the population surveyed supports the emerging concept of spectrum of a Lewy body diseases ranging from purely psychiatric disorders through combined psychoneurological or neuropsychiatric symptoms, to the classically described neurological disorders of Parkinson's disease.

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Lewy body prevalence in the aging brain: relationship to neuropsychiatric disorders, Alzheimer-type pathology and catecholaminergic nuclei

Summary

Lancet

J. Neurol. Sci.

J. Neurol. Sci.

Über Zelleib-Veränderungen im Nucleus Coeruleus bei Parkinson-Symptomen

J. Nerv. Ment. Dis.

The Charles Bonnet syndrome and the problem of visual perceptual disorders in the elderly

Age Ageing

The incidence and characteristics of Lewy bodies in idiopathic paralysis agitans (Parkinson's disease)

J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat.

The association between quantitative measures of dementia and of senile change in the cerebral grey matter of elderly subjects

Br. J. Psychiat.

Parkinson disease, dementia and Alzheimer disease: clinicopathological correlations

Ann. Neurol.

Diffuse Lewy body disease: clinical features in 15 cases

J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat.

Concentric hyalin intraneuronal inclusions of Lewy type in the brains of elderly persons (50 incidental cases): relationship to parkinsonism

J. Am. Geriat. Soc.

The relevance of the Lewy body to the pathogenesis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease

J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat.

Clinical and pathological features of diffuse Lewy body disease (Lewy body dementia)

Brain

A pathological study of the association between Lewy body disease and Alzheimer's disease

J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat.

The brain stem lesions in Parkinsonism

J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat.

Dementia in Parkinson's disease: a neuropathological study

Neurology