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Consensus guidelines for the clinical and pathologic diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB): report of the consortium on DLB international workshop
McKeith IG, Galasko D, Kosaka K, Perry EK, Dickson DW, Hansen LA, Salmon DP, Lowe J et al.. Neurology, 1996-11-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
We identified optimal staining methods for each of these and devised a protocol for the evaluation of cortical LB frequency based on a brain sampling procedure consistent with CERAD. This allows cases to be classified into brainstem predominant, limbic (transitional), and neocortical subtypes, using a simple scoring system based on the relative distribution of semiquantitative LB counts. Alzheimer pathology is also frequently present in DLB, usually as diffuse or neuritic plaques, neocortical neurofibrillary tangles being much less common. The precise nosological relationship between DLB and AD remains uncertain, as does that between DLB and patients with Parkinson's disease who subsequently develop neuropsychiatric features. Finally, we recommend procedures for the selective sampling and storage of frozen tissue for a variety of neurochemical assays, which together with developments in molecular genetics, should assist future refinements of diagnosis and classification.
Key findings
- We identified optimal staining methods for each of these and devised a protocol for the evaluation of cortical LB frequency based on a brain sampling procedure consistent with CERAD.
- This allows cases to be classified into brainstem predominant, limbic (transitional), and neocortical subtypes, using a simple scoring system based on the relative distribution of semiquantitative LB counts.
- Alzheimer pathology is also frequently present in DLB, usually as diffuse or neuritic plaques, neocortical neurofibrillary tangles being much less common.
- The precise nosological relationship between DLB and AD remains uncertain, as does that between DLB and patients with Parkinson's disease who subsequently develop neuropsychiatric features.
- Finally, we recommend procedures for the selective sampling and storage of frozen tissue for a variety of neurochemical assays, which together with developments in molecular genetics, should assist future refinements of diagnosis and classification.
Why it matters
This consensus report devised a protocol for evaluating cortical Lewy body frequency and classifying cases into brainstem predominant, limbic, and neocortical subtypes, and recommended procedures for sampling and storing frozen tissue for neurochemical assays. It notes that the precise relationship between dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease remains uncertain.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1996 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 3,978 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 124.3 citations a year over 32 year(s) since 1996 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 73.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 6 / 6 | Cited by 251 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 110 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author R.H. Perry: h-index 18 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital: institution h-index 262 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 8909416) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
McKeith, I. G., Galasko, D., Kosaka, K., Perry, E. K., Dickson, D. W., Hansen, L. A., et al. (1996). Consensus guidelines for the clinical and pathologic diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB): report of the consortium on DLB international workshop. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.47.5.1113
Vancouver
McKeith IG, Galasko D, Kosaka K, Perry EK, Dickson DW, Hansen LA, et al. Consensus guidelines for the clinical and pathologic diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB): report of the consortium on DLB international workshop. Neurology. 1996. doi:10.1212/wnl.47.5.1113. PMID: 8909416.
BibTeX
@article{mckeith1996-8909416,
author = {McKeith, I. G. and Galasko, D. and Kosaka, K. and Perry, E. K. and Dickson, D. W. and Hansen, L. A. and Salmon, D. P. and Lowe, J. and others},
title = {{Consensus guidelines for the clinical and pathologic diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB): report of the consortium on DLB international workshop}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {1996},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.47.5.1113},
pmid = {8909416},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.47.5.1113}
}
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