Overview
Lewy body dementia is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. Protein deposits called Lewy bodies develop in nerve cells in the brain. The protein deposits affect brain regions involved in thinking, memory and movement. This condition is also known as dementia with Lewy bodies.
Lewy body dementia causes a decline in mental abilities that gradually gets worse over time. People with Lewy body dementia might see things that aren't there. This is known as visual hallucinations. They also may have changes in alertness and attention.
People with Lewy body dementia might experience Parkinson's disease symptoms. These symptoms may include rigid muscles, slow movement, trouble walking and tremors.
Symptoms
Lewy body dementia symptoms can include:
- Visual hallucinations. Seeing things that aren't there, known as hallucinations, might be one of the first symptoms of Lewy body dementia. This symptom often occurs regularly. People with Lewy body dementia might see shapes, animals or people that aren't there. Hallucinations involving sounds, smells or touch are possible.
- Movement disorders. Signs of Parkinson's disease, known as parkinsonian signs, may occur. These symptoms include slowed movement, rigid muscles, tremor or a shuffling walk. This can cause the person to fall.
- Poor regulation of body functions. The part of the nervous system that controls automatic functions is called the autonomic nervous system. Lewy body dementia can affect how well the autonomic nervous system controls blood pressure, heart rate, sweating and digestion. This can result in sudden drops in blood pressure upon standing, dizziness, falls, loss of bladder control and bowel issues such as constipation.
- Cognitive problems. People with Lewy body dementia might have thinking problems similar to those of Alzheimer's disease. They may include confusion, poor attention, visual-spatial problems and memory loss.
- Trouble with sleep. People with Lewy body dementia can have rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder. This disorder causes people to physically act out their dreams while asleep. People with REM sleep behavior disorder may punch, kick, yell or scream while sleeping.
- Varying attention. Episodes of drowsiness, long periods of staring into space, long naps during the day or disorganized speech are possible.
- Depression. People with Lewy body dementia might develop depression.
- Apathy. Loss of motivation may occur.
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Causes
Lewy body dementia is characterized by the buildup of proteins into masses known as Lewy bodies. This protein also is associated with Parkinson's disease. People who have Lewy bodies in their brains also have the plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Risk factors
A few factors seem to increase the risk of developing Lewy body dementia, including:
- Age. People older than 60 are at greater risk.
- Sex. Lewy body dementia affects more men than women.
- Family history. Those who have a family member with Lewy body dementia or Parkinson's disease are at greater risk.
Complications
Lewy body dementia is progressive. This means it gradually gets worse over time. As symptoms get worse, Lewy body dementia can lead to:
- Severe dementia.
- Aggressive behavior.
- Depression.
- Increased risk of falling and injury.
- Worsening of parkinsonian symptoms, such as tremors.
- Death, on average about 7 to 8 years after symptoms start.
FAQs
It is a progressive disease, meaning symptoms start slowly and worsen over time. Although younger people can have LBD, it typically begins at age 50 or older. People with LBD live on average five to eight years — but may live as few as two years or as long as 20 years — from the time of diagnosis to death.
What can cause Lewy body dementia? ›
A few factors seem to increase the risk of developing Lewy body dementia, including:
- Age. People older than 60 are at greater risk.
- Sex. Lewy body dementia affects more men than women.
- Family history. Those who have a family member with Lewy body dementia or Parkinson's disease are at greater risk.
It is a progressive disease, meaning symptoms start slowly and worsen over time. Although younger people can have LBD, it typically begins at age 50 or older. People with LBD live on average five to eight years — but may live as few as two years or as long as 20 years — from the time of diagnosis to death.
What can be mistaken for Lewy body dementia? ›
Dementia with Lewy bodies is often hard to diagnose because its early symptoms may resemble those of Alzheimer's disease or a psychiatric illness. As a result, it is often misdiagnosed or missed altogether. As additional symptoms appear, making an accurate diagnosis may become easier.
Can anything slow down Lewy body dementia? ›
While LBD currently cannot be prevented or cured, some symptoms may respond to treatment for a period of time. An LBD treatment plan may involve medications, physical and other types of therapy, and counseling.
Who is at high risk for Lewy body dementia? ›
Men are more likely to get DLB than women, and people with a family history of Parkinson's disease or DLB have a higher risk too. While there's no guaranteed way to completely prevent dementia with Lewy bodies, evidence suggests that looking after our brain health may reduce our risk of dementia.
What do dementia eyes look like? ›
You can't tell whether someone has dementia by looking in their eyes. However, vision loss commonly occurs among people with dementia. It's not clear whether vision loss causes dementia or vice versa. It may be that both sight loss and dementia are more common among older adults.
What is the first symptom most likely to be seen in Lewy body dementia? ›
Hallucinations or Delusions of Reality
Unlike Alzheimer's disease, individuals in the early stages of Lewy Body Dementia may exhibit cognitive changes such as hallucinations or distortions of reality. In general, hallucinations caused by LBD are vivid and usually visual, rather than auditory.
Is Lewy body the worst dementia? ›
"Lewy body dementia is a devastating brain disorder for which we have no effective treatments. Patients often appear to suffer the worst of both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
What is the life expectancy with Lewy body dementia? ›
The average life expectancy of Lewy body dementia is five to eight years after the initial diagnosis. But some people with LBD live up to 20 years after their diagnosis.
In a research setting, to distinguish DLB from PDD, the 1-year rule between the onset of dementia and parkinsonism is recommended; DLB is used when dementia occurs before or within one year after the onset of parkinsonism; the 1-year rule is operational with no scientific basis; and DLB and PDD have been considered to ...
What is the 3 minute test for Lewy body dementia? ›
3 Minute Test
The test contains 10 yes-or-no questions. Six of them cover non-motor symptoms such as unreasoned thinking, hallucinations or excessive sleep and four include motor symptom aspects such as rigidity in the arms and legs, slowness of movement and trouble with balance.
Do you sleep a lot with Lewy body dementia? ›
Excessive sleep during the night and for >2 hours during the day is part of the fluctuating wakefulness criterion of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The phenomenon 'sleep days' is not uncommon in nursing homes.
What is the interlocking finger test for dementia? ›
The goal is determining how much the fingers can comfortably and fully interlock. The person being tested extends their arms in front of them, palms facing each other, to conduct the test. They then flex their fingers and attempt to interlock them by placing the web spaces between the fingers together.
What is the 5 word test? ›
Introduction: The five-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of aging people and has previously shown its sensitivity and its specificity in identifying patients with AD.
Which group of people is more likely to get LBD? ›
A higher number of men are also affected by LBD. Other known risk factors for LBD include the following: Diseases and health conditions: Certain diseases and health conditions, particularly REM sleep behavior disorder and loss of smell, are linked to a higher risk of LBD.
What are the chances of getting Lewy body dementia? ›
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common dementia syndrome, representing 10% to 15% of cases. Knowledge of risk factors for DLB may provide clues to the underlying pathophysiology, yet the only known risk factors are advanced age, male sex,1 and a family history of dementia.
