Lewy Body Dementia

Symptoms of Lewy body dementia include a progressive cognitive decline that interferes with daily activities, unpredictable changes in attention and alertness, visual hallucinations, and motor symptoms similar to those of Parkinson’s disease such as slow movements, rigidity, difficulty walking, tremors or shaking, balance issues, and a loss of coordination. The disease affects thinking, behavior, movement, and mood. People with LBD may also experience depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

Early signs of LBD may start mild and progress to become more severe. Due to the severity and progression of symptoms, LBD ultimately leads to a loss of independence, requiring individuals with the disease to receive increasing levels of personal assistance and caregiving over time.

There are currently no medical tests that provide a definitive diagnosis of Lewy body dementia. A doctor will make a probable diagnosis based on a patient’s medical history, neurological and physical exams, test results, and symptoms. Depending on the individual’s symptoms, blood tests or brain imaging can also provide additional information and be used to rule out other conditions. Currently, LBD can only be definitively diagnosed with a brain autopsy after death.

Because symptoms of Lewy body dementia are similar to those of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, it can be difficult for doctors to definitively diagnose LBD. Patients with these three neurodegenerative diseases often experience overlapping symptoms and the abnormal protein clusters called Lewy bodies. As a result, they can be easily mistaken for one another. The presence of Lewy bodies in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases suggests that LBD may be related to these other causes of dementia, or that a person can have more than one degenerative brain disease at the same time.

There is currently no cure for Lewy body dementia or therapies to stop or slow its progression. Treatments such as medications, counseling, and physical, occupational, and speech therapies aim to manage symptoms.

Doctors may prescribe medications to treat the cognitive, psychiatric, and motor symptoms of LBD while others may prescribe medication commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease to help with motor issues. Side effects of these medications can include psychiatric and behavioral problems, so the risks must be weighed against the benefits.

A safe living environment, equipment that makes daily tasks easier, and a skilled care team will help improve the quality of life of an individual with this disease. The prognosis for Lewy body dementia is similar to that of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The average survival time after diagnosis is about eight years but can range from two to 20 years.

Research for Lewy body dementia is ongoing. Current research focuses on the biological and genetic roots of LBD, alpha-synuclein protein accumulation, and how Lewy bodies cause symptoms of dementia. The goal is to find better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat the different forms of dementia.

The 2022 American Brain Foundation Cure One Cure Many Award seeks to support scientists in the search for a biomarker, or clear indicator of the presence of the disease. Establishing a diagnostic test for LBD would not only enable individuals to receive a definitive diagnosis but would also support patient care and lead to new therapies. Discoveries for Lewy body dementia will likely also benefit research for related neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease in the areas of diagnosis, treatment, and patient care.