Delusions in Lewy Body Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study on Associated Factors and Lived Experiences

IntroductionDelusions are common in Lewy body disease (LBD), significantly impacting quality of life. This study examined clinical factors, characteristics and themes associated with delusions in LBD.MethodsClinical and demographic factors were compared between 91 individuals attending St. James's Hospital in Ireland with LBD both with and without delusions. Clinical scales include the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Addenbrooke's Cognitive Evaluation (ACE-III), and Neuropsychiatric Inventory-12 (NPI-12). Themes of delusions extracted from clinical descriptions were mapped onto a typology from primary psychiatric populations.ResultsIndividuals with delusions were older, had higher CDR and ESS scores, lower ACE-III performance, higher scores on the NPI-12, and demonstrated cognitive impairment at the MCI or dementia level. Misidentification delusions were most common, followed by delusions of "being harmed, attacked, or killed" and "residence is not their home".ConclusionThese findings suggest delusions are related to disease stage, sleep, distinct cognitive and neuropsychiatric patterns, and follow a unique thematic typology.