Lewy body dementia
Alternative Names
Lewy body dementia, Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), diffuse Lewy body disease, cortical Lewy body disease, senile dementia of Lewy typeWhat is Lewy body dementia
Lewy body dementia is a type of dementia closely allied to both Alzheimers and Parkinson's Diseases. It is characterized anatomically by the presence of Lewy bodies, clumps of alpha-synuclein and ubiquitin protein in neurons, detectable in post-mortem brain histology. Lewy Body dementia affects 1.3 million people in the United States.
Signs and symptoms
Lewy body dementia can cause such signs and symptoms as:
- Visual hallucinations
- Movement disorders
- Delusions
- Cognitive problems
- Sleep difficulties
- Fluctuating attention
Possible complications
Complications caused by lewy body dementia are the followings:
- Severe dementia
- Death, on average about 8 years after onset
What causes
There is no cause of Lewy body dementia, but it can be due to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.
Prevention
It is impossible to prevent this disease. It is under the study.
Treatment
Neither cure nor treatment that stops or slows this disease exists. Treatment is focused on relieving symptoms and delaying loss of mental abilities for as long as possible.
