{"id":7909,"date":"2016-02-16T07:03:28","date_gmt":"2016-02-16T13:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=7909"},"modified":"2017-09-19T13:13:41","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T18:13:41","slug":"what-is-lewy-body-dementia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/02\/what-is-lewy-body-dementia\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Lewy Body Dementia?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is Lewy Body Dementia?\"What<\/h1>\n

As the number of seniors affected by Alzheimer\u2019s continues to grow each year, the subject has become such a frequent topic in our culture that it\u2019s often treated as synonymous with dementia<\/a><\/strong> in common usage. In fact, dementia is a broader term that describes the effect of a number of illnesses and healthcare issues beyond Alzheimer\u2019s. One of the most common causes of dementia, after Alzheimer\u2019s, is much less widely known, yet still affects a large number of seniors.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Lewy Body Dementia?<\/h2>\n

Lewy body dementia (LBD)<\/strong> is a disease that\u2019s caused by the buildup of abnormal deposits of lewy bodies \u2013 alpha synuclein<\/em>, in technical terminology \u2013 in the brain. The buildup of lewy bodies affects the brain\u2019s chemistry causing symptoms of dementia and uncontrollable physical movements. <\/span><\/p>\n

Lewy body dementia is believed to affect over <\/span>1 million people in the United States<\/a><\/strong>, but it\u2019s also believed to be widely undiagnosed due to how similar the early symptoms are to other forms of dementia. LBD is most common in seniors, usually appearing at some point after the age of 50, although cases occurring in younger people do also exist. Like Alzheimer\u2019s, LBD is a progressive disease, meaning those who are diagnosed with it can expect the symptoms to get continually worse over time. <\/span><\/p>\n

Two Types of Lewy Body Dementia<\/h2>\n

LBD can be divided into two primary types: dementia with lewy bodies and Parkinson\u2019s disease dementia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dementia with lewy bodies<\/b> is the type that most closely resembles Alzheimer\u2019s. Most symptoms are related to the patient\u2019s ability to think clearly. Unlike Alzheimer\u2019s, dementia with lewy bodies also often includes visual hallucinations and physical difficulties and does not especially include memory issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

Parkinson\u2019s disease dementia <\/b>doesn\u2019t occur with all Parkinson\u2019s disease patients, but is a form of dementia that those with Parkinson\u2019s are at risk of. What sets Parkinson\u2019s disease dementia apart is that more of the symptoms are typically physical and similar to the symptoms common to Parkinson\u2019s disease, such as slow movement, tremors or difficulty moving. <\/span><\/p>\n

Common Lewy Body Dementia Symptoms<\/h2>\n

Cases of lewy body dementia can vary considerably for different patients, which is part of why doctors find it so challenging to diagnose effectively. Some of the symptoms you or a loved one may experience if you have LBD are:<\/span><\/p>\n