What Are The Different Levels Of Dementia – Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a common type of dementia that occurs when clumps of proteins called Lewy bodies build up in your brain. They damage parts of your brain that affect cognition, behavior, movement and sleep. LBD is a progressive condition, meaning it will get worse over time. There is no cure, but medications and treatments can help manage symptoms.
Symptoms of dementia with Lewy bodies (LBD) can be similar to symptoms of other brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. They change over time and vary from person to person.
What Are The Different Levels Of Dementia
Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a form of dementia in which Lewy bodies are present in your brain. Lewy bodies are clumps of protein that accumulate in certain neurons (brain cells). They cause damage to neurons in areas of your brain that affect cognitive ability, behavior, movement and sleep.
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In people over 65, LBD is one of the most common causes of depression. The symptoms of LBD can be very similar to the symptoms of other brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
There is no cure for LBD, but symptoms can be managed with certain medications. You or your loved one may also benefit from non-medical treatments such as physical therapy and speech therapy.
Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease dementia are two related clinical disorders that make up the overall category of Lewy body dementia. Sometimes providers first diagnose LBD as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease based on its symptoms.
Lewy body dementia (LBD) usually affects people over 50 years of age. The older you are, the greater your risk of developing the disease. Men and people who are identified as male at birth are more likely to develop dementia with Lewy bodies than women and people who are identified as female at birth.
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Dementia with Lewy bodies is one of the most common types of progressive dementia. Researchers estimate that approximately 1.4 million people live with the condition in the United States.
Symptoms of Lewy body dementia (LBD) can be similar to symptoms of other brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Symptoms change over time and vary from person to person.
One of the main features of LBD is parkinsonism, which is a general term that refers to neurological conditions that cause movement problems, including:
Some people with LBD may not experience significant mobility problems for several years, while others experience them early on. At first, the symptoms of motion sickness can be very subtle and easy to miss.
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Altered cognitive (mental) function is a fairly specific feature of dementia with Lewy bodies. A person with LBD may experience periods of alertness and coherence between periods of confusion and not being able to answer questions. This can change from day to day or within the same day.
Visual hallucinations, or seeing things that aren’t there, occur in up to 80% of people with LBD, and often early in the condition. Other types of hallucinations, such as hearing or smelling things that aren’t there, are less common than visions, but they can also occur.
Visual-spatial problems, including reduced depth perception, problems recognizing familiar objects, and hand-eye coordination problems are also common in people with LBD.
Sleep disorders are common in people with LBD, especially rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD). This condition often includes movements, such as shaking or shaking, with crying or talking in sleep. People living with RBD often have trouble separating dreams from reality when they wake up.
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Dysautonomia is a general term for a group of disorders that have a common problem – ie. autonomic nervous system (ANS) that is not working properly.
The ANS is the part of your nervous system that controls involuntary bodily functions (functions you don’t consciously control) such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, digestion, and more.
People with LBD may experience problems with their autonomic nervous system, which may result in the following symptoms:
People with LBD may experience behavior and behavioral changes that may worsen as their thinking skills decline. Symptoms may include:
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Accumulation of Lewy bodies (proteins called alpha-synuclein) causes both dementia with Lewy bodies and dementia in Parkinson’s disease. When Lewy bodies accumulate in neurons, they damage certain areas of your brain.
Researchers don’t know why some people develop LBD and others don’t. Some believe that a combination of mutations in a person’s genes, environmental risk factors, and natural aging may cause some people to develop LBD. An investigation into specific causes is ongoing.
One of the most recent discoveries in identifying the cause of dementia with Lewy bodies was the discovery of an increasing number of gene mutations. Two recently discovered genetic risk factors are variants of
It is already known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. There is growing evidence that it also increases the risk of dementia with Lewy bodies. Just like,
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The gene increases the risk of both Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Despite these findings, scientists still believe that genetic changes as the cause of LBD are rare. Most cases of dementia with Lewy bodies are not thought to be hereditary (passed from parent to child).
Diagnosing Lewy body dementia (LBD) can be challenging. Early symptoms of LBD are often confused with symptoms found in other neurological or psychiatric conditions.
There are no medical tests that can diagnose dementia with Lewy bodies with 100% accuracy. Diagnosis may require a team of specialists, including:
Together, they can make a diagnosis of “most likely LBD” based on combined test results and symptoms.
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Along with a history of progressive cognitive decline that interferes with daily activities, a diagnosis of LBD is considered probable if two of the following four main features are present, and considered possible if only there is one:
Some people with Parkinson’s disease who develop cognitive symptoms less than a year after movement problems begin may be diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies.
Health care providers use the following strategies to help diagnose LBD and rule out conditions that cause similar symptoms:
There is no cure for Lewy body dementia (LBD). Medications and non-medical treatments, such as physical, occupational and speech therapy, manage symptoms as much as possible.
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In advanced cases of dementia with Lewy bodies, palliative care—care that provides symptom relief, comfort, and support for people with severe illness—may be more appropriate than highly invasive medical interventions or hospital care.
If you or someone has been diagnosed with LBD, it’s important to learn about the condition and any medications and treatments that can help you feel as comfortable and safe as possible.
Each person’s experience with Lewy body dementia (LBD) is unique to them. It is impossible to know how slowly or quickly the disease will progress, but your general health and any pre-existing conditions can affect it.
Because LBD is a progressive disease, problems with cognitive and physical functions diminish over time. It is not known at this time how to stop the progression of the disease.
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However, there is always hope. Research continues into dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease with dementia. New drugs are being developed and new treatment methods are being studied.
The average life expectancy for dementia with Lewy bodies is five to eight years after the initial diagnosis. But some people with LBD live up to 20 years after diagnosis.
This short life expectancy may be due to the lack of knowledge about LBD among health care providers and the general public, and the difficulty in differentiating it from other similar conditions. This often leads to a delay in diagnosis, which delays the initiation of specific treatment.
If you are caring for someone diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), it is important to learn about the condition and seek professional guidance to care for them at home. Understanding LBD can help you deal with everyday challenges.
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You may need to make changes to your home to make everyday life easier. For example, it helps to have a bright, cheerful and familiar environment. It’s also important to make sure your home is safe and clear of any obstacles that could fall.
Since vision and judgment skills are reduced in LBD people, you may need to assign someone else to oversee their finances. Before the decline in cognitive function develops, it is also important to clarify their wishes regarding care and financial and legal arrangements.
If you or someone with Lewy bodies has symptoms of depression, talk to your healthcare provider.
If you’ve been diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies, you should see your healthcare team regularly to monitor your health and symptoms and make sure your medications are working.
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By learning early that you have been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia (LBD), you and your family can plan a meaningful quality of life together and can sort out your legal, financial and health plans and aspirations. Your healthcare team will be ready to educate, support and care for you or your loved one. Also, ask your team for information on local LBD support groups. Support groups can be very helpful in sharing care tips and providing comfort in knowing you are not alone.
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