Lewy Body Dementia, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
1:00 Symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia
1:55 Causes of Lewy Body Dementia
2:26 Treatment of Lewy Body Dementia

Lewy body dementias are two similar and common subtypes of dementia[1]—dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD).[2][3][4][5] Both are characterized by changes in thinking, movement, behavior, and mood.[1] The two conditions have similar features and may have similar causes, and are believed to belong on a spectrum of Lewy body disease[2] that includes Parkinson's disease.[5] As of 2014, they were more often misdiagnosed than any other common dementia.[6]

The exact cause is unknown, but involves widespread deposits of abnormal clumps of protein that form in neurons of the diseased brain. Known as Lewy bodies (discovered in 1912 by Frederic Lewy[7]) and Lewy neurites, these clumps affect both the central nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.[8] The fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) gives Lewy body disease as the causative subtype of dementia with Lewy bodies, and Parkinson's disease as the causative subtype of Parkinson's disease dementia.[9] Dementia with Lewy bodies is marked by the presence of Lewy bodies primarily in the cortical regions, and Parkinson's disease dementia with Lewy bodies primarily in the subcortical basal ganglia.[10] The synucleinopathies (dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson's disease dementia, and Parkinson's disease) are characterized by shared features of parkinsonism motor symptoms, neuropsychiatric symptoms, impaired cognition, sleep disorders, and visual hallucinations.[11][12] The Lewy body dementias—dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD)—are distinguished by the timing when cognitive and motor symptoms appear.[13] The two Lewy body dementias are often considered to belong on a spectrum of Lewy body disease that includes Parkinson's disease.[2][5]

MeSH lists Lewy body disease in several categories: as a nervous system disease in two listings one as a basal ganglia Parkinsonian movement disorder and the other under brain disease as a dementia; as a neurodegenerative disorder listed as a synucleinopathy; and as a neurocognitive disorder listed with dementia.[14]
Cause and mechanisms
Further information: Dementia with Lewy bodies § Pathophysiology

Dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia are similar in many ways, suggesting there may be a common pathophysiological mechanism, with PDD and DLB at opposite ends of a Lewy body disease spectrum,[2] and a shared component of protein deposits in Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites.[15] Lewy bodies and neurites have been found to develop from the aggregation of misfolded alpha-synuclein, a protein thought to assist in neurotransmitter release and vesicle turnover; whether these misfolded proteins are responsible for the neurodegenerative effects remains unclear, and no definitive link between Lewy bodies and neurodegenerative effects has been found.[16] DSM-5 gives Lewy body disease as the causative subtype of DLB, and Parkinson's disease as the causative subtype of PDD.[9] DLB is marked by the presence of Lewy bodies primarily in the cortical regions, and PDD with Lewy bodies primarily in the subcortical basal ganglia.[10]

Despite differences in the timing of the appearance of symptoms, the two dementias "show remarkably convergent neuropathological changes at autopsy".[2] The relationship between Parkinson's disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies is unclear as of 2020, but there is likely to be genetic overlap, and the two conditions may represent different points on a continuum.[17]
Diagnosis
Further information: Dementia with Lewy bodies § Diagnosis

Dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia have similar neuropathological features, but these features are highly variable and the conditions cannot be distinguished on pathological features alone.[16] Generally, dementia with Lewy bodies is distinguished from Parkinson's disease dementia by the time frame in which dementia symptoms appear relative to parkinsonian symptoms and is diagnosed when cognitive symptoms begin before or at the same time as parkinsonism. Parkinson's disease dementia is the diagnosis when Parkinson's disease is already well established before the dementia occurs.[12]

[aaronbuffalo]

My 76 year old father is 80 % confirmed to have L B D, he suffered bad hallucinations and paranoia over last christmas 2023, and stopped eating and drinking altogether, lost half his body weight in 6 months. Luckily those of the Swindon based Hodson Ward have been fantastic with him and have got him back to himself to an extent. His hallucinations stopped, back up to over 63 KG, eating drinking, Rivastigmine massively boosted his alertness. His physio regime means he can walk upstairs unaided. 6 months in hospital but will release soon whether its a care home or home with care.

He has incontinence, still has very poor movement otherwise, alertness is hit and miss, but you can have a conversation with him now. Signed up for drug trials, could be years and still be mostly fine. Just a waiting game really, but medically speaking he is doing good for now. Just have to bless each day really.

[alexmorgan]

My mother has recently been diagnosed with this and Parkinsons. Her condition has improved with medication. Sometimes like this evening on the phone she was as sharp as a pin, but other days she can be very muddled. She can fluctuate a lot. Go on a low carb no sugar Keto diet. Get blood sugar level and insulin under control. Hard to do when she is in a care home being served processed crap food and sugary drinks, eating a diet full of sugar and carbs the whole time.

My mom was not diagnosed. She started being sick when she was 49. Started like an insane headache. Then, she just sat there and wouldn't move. Then they said it's like she was depressed. That never went away. She sat there with her head down until her neck stayed that way. She was a strong a woman who took care of her entire family. But something happened. Then, she sat there for so long, her muscles fused. She couldn't walk anymore. Then, she lost her eye sight for the most part. She always remembered us until her last day. Her long term memory also stayed. But weirdly enough, if you brush her teeth now, she swore you never did. So we'd have to do it again, sometimes 3 times. Sometimes she claimed that people hit her, even though it wasn't the case. Before she died, she could not control her bowels or bladder. She just passed. She never forgot us. She never met my husband, due to different countries, but always remembered to ask for him and always told him she loved him. Remembered her grandkids and everyone else til her last breath. I don't understand it.

[jimprior]

My wife has passed but I wish that our GP's and other medical professionals would have been more aware of LBD symptons . It would have helped both of us greatly. Finally one day I told the doctor she really seems to have dementia of some kind, he examined her and said it looks like parkinsons and sent us to a neurologist who quickly identified LBD. After learning about LBD I realized the symtoms were there for the GPs and others they didn't pick up on it.

[lunyutaochola]

Super clear illustrations and explanations with real life examples

[ChickenFriedDryEraseMarkers]

My Grandmother had this. Ik this video is simply scientific. But the actual picture is sadly much more graphic. Imagine someone who is pissed drunk while also being super high on LSD. That's basically what you get. Just an incompetent walking active individual with zero awareness of their surroundings while hallucinating. I remember many times our family having to Chace her her down the street, after she sprinted down the street naked while cursing at others or nothing. Being extremely violent like pulling knives on people for reasons that were hallucinate. Like thinking the couch was plotting her death and you had a part in it. And I'm not even joking even slightly. It's sadly exactly like that.

[lor]

My dad has just been diagnosed with this

[mentalcompassno]

I'm 100 pct sure my mother has this. It's hell

[likeamotherbitchh]

my dad took his life October 6th 2022, at the age of 43. I'll spend the whole life running down the loop hole as to why. Wish we were able to look more into what was wrong with his brain.

[purplerider]

I s worked in memory are facilities for year. They can say some hilarious stuff

[kevywilliams]

Yup it’s in people who take dozens and dozens and dozens of pharmaceuticals .. like vaccines/ cancer shots/ chemo/ radiation/ heart meds/ Tylenol/ etc etc etc