Dementia in Lewy Bodies, it is said to be the second most common form of dementia that shares symptoms with both Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This most devastating dementia is rarely referred to and mostly unknown to the public despite the 130,000 sufferers in Britain.
Dementia in Lewy Bodies (DLB) was named after the doctor who first identified them, have tiny deposits of protein in their nerve cells. Researchers don’t have a full understanding of why Lewy bodies appear in the brain, or exactly how they contribute to dementia. However, their presence is linked to low levels of important chemical messengers (mainly acetylcholine and dopamine) and to a loss of connections between nerve cells. Over time, there is progressive death of nerve cells and loss of brain tissue.
What are the symptoms of Dementia in Lewy Bodies?
The symptoms a person experiences will depend partly on where the Lewy bodies are in the brain. Lewy bodies at the base of the brain are closely linked to problems with movement (motor symptoms). These are the main feature of Parkinson’s disease. Lewy bodies in the outer layers of the brain are linked to problems with mental abilities (cognitive symptoms).
Movement problems and changes in mental abilities can occur together.
Other symptoms are the following:
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