Viewing a Lewy Body
Image courtesy of the Lewy Body Dementia Association.
Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) is a brain disease affecting thinking and often mobility. It is the third most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Lewy body dementia accounts for up to 20% of all dementia cases in the United States.
One-page informational flyer on Lewy body dementia
Cause
The cause of Lewy body dementia is not known. It is rarely inherited. In Lewy body dementia, the brain contains abnormal protein deposits known as Lewy bodies enriched in the protein alphasynuclein. Lewy bodies also occur in Parkinson’s disease, but are less widespread in Parkinson’s disease. In addition to Lewy bodies throughout the brain, microscopic brain abnormalities found in Alzheimer’s disease are also present with Lewy body dementia.
Symptoms
A person with Lewy body dementia may experience:
- Cognitive difficulties
- Visual hallucinations
- Significant day-to-day fluctuations in abilities
- Stiffness and slowness of movement
- Tremors
- Poor balance with falls
- Fainting or other periods of unresponsiveness
- Acting out dreams
Diagnosis
Lewy body dementia is often confused with Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. Accurate diagnosis is critical because people with Lewy body dementia have distinct symptoms that require different treatment strategies and may be sensitive to certain medications. A diagnosis of Lewy body dementia is made after a thorough evaluation, which includes a discussion of symptoms, a physical examination, and diagnostic testing. Blood tests and brain scans are often performed. The diagnosis may be confirmed after death with a brain autopsy showing Lewy bodies.
Prognosis & Treatment
Lewy body dementia worsens over time (years) and impairs the individual’s ability to live and function independently. Though there is no known cure for Lewy body dementia, three types of medications may be used to treat it:
- Cholinesterase inhibitors such as Aricept, Razadyne, or Exelon;
- Drugs used to treat people with PD (such as Sinemet); and
- Drugs for visual hallucinations and behavioral problems.
In April 2018, the Lewy Body Dementia Association, the leading advocacy group dedicated to raising awareness and advancing research about Lewy body dementia, announced the launch of the LBDA Research Centers of Excellence. This collaboration features 21 of the nation’s leading academic medical institutions to which people with LBD and their families can turn for advanced Lewy body dementia diagnosis and treatment. The program provides a centralized, coordinated research resource, supporting an expanded effort in conducting clinical trials related to Lewy body dementia while helping to provide expert clinical care for patients, families, and caregivers.
For more on the Lewy Body Dementia Association Research Centers of Excellence, visit the site here.
More information about Lewy body dementia can be found at the places shown below.
The Rinne Lewy Body Dementia Initiative is a program of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the University of Michigan. This initiative supports those living with Lewy Body Dementia and their care partners, improving awareness of Lewy body dementia among healthcare professionals and the general public and advancing our understanding and treatment of this disease.
