Everything you need to know about Lewy Body Dementia
About Lewy body dementia
Lewy body dementia is a neurodegenerative condition that affects an estimated 1.4 million people in the United States. The disease lasts an average of five to eight years from the time of diagnosis to death but can range from two to 20 years for some people.
While there is yet much to learn about LBD, scientists are gaining ground fast when it comes to understanding the mechanisms of LBD.
There are certain characteristics that differentiate LBD from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, namely symptoms that mirror Parkinson’s Disease alongside more intense psychological symptoms.
LBD and Alzheimer’s: What’s the difference?
Lewy body dementia is sometimes described as a combination of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s, but researchers recently discovered that the disease has a unique genetic profile.
People living with LBD have some genes that are linked to Alzheimer’s.
Nevertheless, its genetic profile differed from those with other forms of dementia.
LBD and Parkinson’s: What’s the difference?
In Lewy body dementia, the brainstem is affected, which is in charge of motor function, and partly explains the connection between LBD and Parkinson’s Disease, and the overlapping symptoms, like tremors, slow gait and joint stiffness.
Some clinicians believe that Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia are not actually two separate diseases at all, but rather, a continuum of symptoms related to the same disease. However, this is a developing research area and most scientists continue to separate the two diseases so they get a better, more accurate look at the differences and similarities between the two conditions.
Symptoms of Lewy body dementia
As with other dementias, LBD symptoms and signs vary greatly from person to person, and the severity for which patients experience them is also highly variable.
Many LBD symptoms appear typical to Alzheimer’s Disease or other types of dementia, which makes it difficult to diagnose. When a doctor suspects LBD, it’s usually because a patient is experiencing hallucinations along with memory issues very early on in the disease. In fact, some patients’ very first symptoms are only hallucinations, with memory issues coming later on.
- Difficulties with thinking, planning, and reasoning
- Impaired visual and spatial recognition
- Poor decision making
- Difficulty managing multiple steps or tasks
- Apathy
- Agitation
- Depression
- Delusional thinking
- Lack of concentration
- Limited facial expressions
- Stiff or rigid muscles
- Decreased mobility
- Shuffling gait
- Balance issues
- Tremors
- Trouble falling asleep
- REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD)
- Sleeping for long periods during the day
- Restless leg syndrome
- Blood pressure and pulse fluctuations
- Sweating
- Constipation
- Incontinence
- Dizziness
- Visual, auditory and/or olfactory hallucinations
- Paranoia
- Violent outbursts
- Capgras syndrome — when someone mistakes their caregiver or loved one for an imposter
Risk factors for LBD
Lewy body dementia is sometimes described as a combination of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s, but researchers recently discovered that the disease has a unique genetic profile. Those with LBD have some genes that are linked to Alzheimer’s. Nevertheless, its genetic profile differed from those with other forms of dementia.
Most people with LBD are diagnosed at age 60 or older.
For reasons we are yet unsure about, LBD seems to affect more men than women.
Individuals who have close relatives with LBD or Parkinson’s Disease are more likely to develop Lewy body dementia.
While researchers have found genes connected to LBD, they still do not know how much genetics or lifestyle factors contribute to the disease. More research is needed before scientists can help us better understand this area.
Diagnosing LBD
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