Abstract
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), one of the synucleinopathies, is the second most common type of dementia found in older adults. DLB has been shown to be accompanied by significant impairments across multiple cognitive domains, particularly in the area of visual-spatial functioning. However, manifestations of DLB can be quite heterogeneous, and additional research is needed to inform whether visual-spatial deficits vary according to patient background characteristics and clinical histories. The current study examined whether visual-spatial performances varied as a function of dementia severity, biological sex, REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) history, and/or history of visual hallucinations in a sample of 127 participants with probable DLB. Participant background information and visual-spatial performances were made available through a uniform dataset with permission of the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC). Results indicated that visual-spatial performances were significantly (inversely) correlated with dementia stage (r[125] = -.49, p < .001). Contrary to expectation, no significant visual-spatial differences were identified across the factors of biological sex, RBD history, or history of visual hallucinations. These findings add to a growing foundation of DLB research and raise important questions about the presumed neuropsychological deficits that accompany the disease process. Strengths and limitations of the study, as well as clinical implications, are discussed.