Faculty Advisor(s)
Amy Litterini
Document Type
Course Paper
Publication Date
6-2015
Rights
© 2015 Cassandra Dawley
Abstract
Background and Purpose: (Lewy Body Dementia) LBD is commonly known as a differential diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) as they both have a similar epidemiology and present with similar symptoms. Due to the paucity of research on physical therapy (PT) interventions for LBD, it may be suitable to use PD specific interventions as a treatment. The proposal to use Parkinson specific interventions, primarily Lee Silverman Voice Treatment-Big (LSVT BIG), may be considered. The purpose of this case study was to provide information about what LBD is, how it presents, and how PD specific interventions were used as a treatment. Case Description: The patient was a 57 year old male referred to PT with PD and a potential differential diagnosis of LBD. He presented primarily with shuffling and en bloc gait, decreased mobility, and impaired balance with secondary impairments from dementia. His treatment consisted primarily of the LSVT BIG intervention for both clinic and home exercise. Secondary to his dementia and lack of consistent transportation, the patient was unable to consistently attend therapy sessions and maintain regular therapeutic exercise. The patient’s inability to come to therapy sessions consistently prompted us to treat his impairments based on his primary concern that day. Outcome: He was assessed using the Timed Up and Go, 30 second sit-to-stand, Mini-BESTest, 6 Minute Walk Test, and gait speed, in which he made improvements in all outcomes. Discussion: Due to the patient’s inability to consistently attend PT sessions, it was hard to determine whether the interventions used made lasting functional improvements. Future studies should look at rehabilitation interventions to determine if LBD can be treated with similar interventions used for patients with PD.
Recommended Citation
Dawley, Cassandra, "The Use Of Parkinson’s Disease Specific Rehabilitative Interventions To Treat A Patient With Lewy Body Dementia: A Case Report" (2015). Case Report Papers. 21.
https://dune.une.edu/pt_studcrpaper/21
Comments
The case report poster for this paper can be found here:
http://dune.une.edu/pt_studcrposter/30.