Lewy body dementia

Resources for Patients and Caregivers

Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a disease associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These deposits, called Lewy bodies, affect chemicals in the brain whose changes, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood.

 

Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: 26-Lewy Bodies Disorder/Dementia
Diagnosis: 
US Patients: American actor and comedian Robin Williams committed suicide in 2014 with Parkinson’s and Lewy Bodies.
World Patients:
Sex Ratio: 
Age Onset: after age 50 with life expectancy of 8 years after diagnosis
Brain Area:  The SNCA gene encodes the alpha-synuclein protein which is a building-block of Lewy bodies.
Symptoms: acting out dreams, visual hallucinations, attention difficulties, slowness of movements
Progression: dementia and Parkinson’s patients may also be affected. Cause cognitive fluctuations.
Causes: clumps of protein form on brain neurons causing heart and digestive functions, low blood pressure and apathy.
Medications: several
Therapies: Cognitive training, deep-brain and transcranial direct current stimulations have been used.

Youtube Video: Lewy Body Disease

 Amazon or Library Book:

A Caregiver’s Guide to Lewy Body Dementia

Click the book to link or buy from Amazon.

Support Group: lbda.org; 800-539-9767 (lewybodydementiaassociation)

Resources for Physicians, Counselors and Researchers

4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED

The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis 

Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.