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Comparative Analysis of White Matter Signal Alterations in Dementia With Lewy Bodies and Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Publisher



Abdi A1, 2 ; Alipour M3 ; Ghanikolahloo M4 ; Magsudy A5 ; Hojjatipour F6 ; Gholamrezanezhad A7, 8 ; Ilaghi M9 ; Anjomrooz M10 ; Sayehmiri F11 ; Hajibeygi R12, 13 ; Fathi M6 ; Assadsangabi R7
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Neurology, MIRDIF Hospital Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  2. 2. Department of Neurology, Iranian Hospital Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  3. 3. Department of Medicine, Islamic Azad University Tehran Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  4. 4. King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
  5. 5. Islamic Azad University Tabriz Branch Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz, Iran
  6. 6. Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  7. 7. Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
  8. 8. Department of Radiology, Cedars Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States
  9. 9. Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  10. 10. Department of Radiology, Advanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center, Medical Imaging Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  11. 11. Skull Base Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  12. 12. School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
  13. 13. Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, CT, United States

Source: Frontiers in Radiology Published:2025


Abstract

Background and aim: Lewy body diseases (LBD) include neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). Because DLB and Alzheimer's disease (AD) share similar neurological symptoms, DLB is frequently underdiagnosed. White Matter Hyperintensities (WMH) are associated with dementia risk and changes in both DLB and AD. In order to examine WMH discrepancies in DLB and AD patients and gain insight into their diagnostic utility and pathophysiological significance, this systematic review and meta-analysis is conducted. Material and methods: Databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were searched for studies reporting WMH in DLB and AD patients based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review (PRISMA) guideline. Stata version 15 US is used to analyze the extracted data. Results: Twelve studies with 906 AD and 499 DLB patients were considered in this analysis. Although not statistically significant, the WMH was 0.03 ml larger in AD patients than in DLB patients. The prevalence of hypertension varied, ranging from 21% to 56% in DLB patients and from 30% to 52% in AD patients. Different findings were found on the prevalence of diabetes; some research suggested that DLB patients had greater rates (18.7%–37%) than AD patients (9%–17.5%). The imaging modalities FLAIR, T2-weighted, and T1-weighted sequences were employed. Compared to DLB patients, AD patients had higher cortical and infratentorial infarcts. Conclusion: Those with AD have greater WMH volumes than cases with DLB, suggesting that WMH can be a biomarker to help better differentiation between these neurodegenerative diseases; however, this difference is not significant. To better understand the therapeutic implications and options for reducing WMH-related cognitive loss in various patient populations, more research is necessary. 2025 Abdi, Alipour, Ghanikolahloo, Magsudy, HojjatiPour, Gholamrezanezhad, Ilaghi, Anjomrooz, Sayehmiri, Hajibeygi, Fathi and Assadsangabi.