Dementia with Lewy bodies (patient information): Difference between revisions
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{{Dementia with Lewy bodies (patient information)}} | {{Dementia with Lewy bodies (patient information)}} | ||
'''Editor-in-Chief:''' [[C. Michael Gibson]], M.S.,M.D. [mailto: | '''Editor-in-Chief:''' [[C. Michael Gibson]], M.S.,M.D. [mailto:charlesmichaelgibson@gmail.com] Phone:617-632-7753; '''Associate Editor-In-Chief:''' [[Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan]], M.B.B.S. | ||
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is one of the most common types of progressive [[Dementia (patient information)|dementia]]. | *Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is one of the most common types of progressive [[Dementia (patient information)|dementia]]. | ||
*Lewy body disease usually begins between the ages of 50 and 85. The disease gets worse over time. | *Lewy body disease usually begins between the '''ages of 50 and 85'''. The disease gets worse over time. | ||
*The criteria for DLB is [[Demetia (patient information)|dementia symptoms]] and 2 or 3 of the below: | *The '''criteria for DLB''' is [[Demetia (patient information)|dementia symptoms]] and 2 or 3 of the below: | ||
:*[[Parkinson's disease (patient information)|Parkinsonism]]: slowness and stiffness | :*[[Parkinson's disease (patient information)|Parkinsonism]]: slowness and stiffness | ||
:*Recurrent detailed [[Hallucination (patient information)|visual hallucinations]], [[Delusion (patient information)|delusions]] (false beliefs) | :*Recurrent detailed [[Hallucination (patient information)|visual hallucinations]], [[Delusion (patient information)|delusions]] (false beliefs) | ||
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==Treatment options== | ==Treatment options== | ||
*There is no cure for DLB. | *There is '''no cure for DLB'''. | ||
*Treatments are aimed at controlling the cognitive, psychiatric, and motor symptoms of the disorder. | *Treatments are aimed at controlling the cognitive, psychiatric, and motor symptoms of the disorder. | ||
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*Doctors tend to '''avoid prescribing [[antipsychotics]]''' for [[Hallucination (patient information)|hallucinatory symptoms]] of DLB because of the risk that neuroleptic sensitivity could worsen the motor symptoms. | *Doctors tend to '''avoid prescribing [[antipsychotics]]''' for [[Hallucination (patient information)|hallucinatory symptoms]] of DLB because of the risk that neuroleptic sensitivity could worsen the motor symptoms. | ||
*Some individuals with DLB may benefit from the use of [[levodopa]] for their rigidity and loss of spontaneous movement. | *Some individuals with DLB may benefit from the use of [[levodopa]] for their rigidity and loss of spontaneous movement. | ||
==Diseases with similar symptoms== | ==Diseases with similar symptoms== | ||
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==What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?== | ==What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?== | ||
*Like [[ | *Like [[Alzheimer's disease (patient information)|Alzheimer’s disease]] and [[Parkinson's disease (patient information)|Parkinson’s disease]], '''DLB is a neuro-degenerative disorder that results in progressive intellectual and functional deterioration'''. | ||
*There are no known therapies to stop or slow the progression of DLB. | *There are no known therapies to stop or slow the progression of DLB. | ||
*Average survival after the time of diagnosis is similar to that in [[Alzheimer’s disease (patient information)|Alzheimer’s disease]], about 8 years, with progressively increasing disability. | *Average survival after the time of diagnosis is similar to that in [[Alzheimer’s disease (patient information)|Alzheimer’s disease]], about '''8 years''', with progressively increasing disability. | ||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
*http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementiawithlewybodies/dementiawithlewybodies.htm | *[http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementiawithlewybodies/dementiawithlewybodies.htm National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke] | ||
*http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lewybodydisease.html | *[http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lewybodydisease.html Medlineplus] | ||
*http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/aging/genage/Pubs/LewyBody_FTDementia.pdf | *[http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/aging/genage/Pubs/LewyBody_FTDementia.pdf WI Department of Health and Family Services] | ||
{{WH}} | {{WH}} | ||
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[[Category:Overview complete]] | [[Category:Overview complete]] | ||
[[Category:Template complete]] | [[Category:Template complete]] | ||
[[Category:Disease | [[Category:Disease]] | ||
[[Category:Patient information]] | [[Category:Patient information]] | ||
[[Category:Psychiatry]] | [[Category:Psychiatry]] | ||
Latest revision as of 15:57, 1 November 2012
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Dementia with Lewy bodies |
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Dementia with Lewy bodies On the Web |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Dementia with Lewy bodies |
Editor-in-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S.,M.D. [1] Phone:617-632-7753; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.
Overview
- Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is one of the most common types of progressive dementia.
- Lewy body disease usually begins between the ages of 50 and 85. The disease gets worse over time.
- The criteria for DLB is dementia symptoms and 2 or 3 of the below:
- Parkinsonism: slowness and stiffness
- Recurrent detailed visual hallucinations, delusions (false beliefs)
- Symptoms fluctuate markedly from day to day
What causes Dementia with Lewy bodies?
- The symptoms of DLB are caused by the build-up of Lewy bodies which are accumulated bits of alpha-synuclein protein inside the nuclei of neurons in areas of the brain that control particular aspects of memory and motor control.
- Researchers don’t know exactly why alpha-synuclein accumulates into Lewy bodies or how Lewy bodies cause the symptoms of DLB, but they do know that alpha-synuclein accumulation is also linked to Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, and several other disorders, which are referred to as the synucleinopathies.
- DLB usually occurs sporadically, in people with no known family history of the disease. However, rare familial cases have occasionally been reported.
What are the symptoms of Dementia with Lewy bodies?
- Brief episodes of confusion and orientation to time or place
- Mild memory problems
- Well defined, vivid hallucinations
- Tremors or rigidity (especially if Haldol or other anti-psychotics given)
- Person has rigid, false beliefs that can’t be changed by convincing
- Unexplained loss of consciousness, frequent falls
- Symptoms can be temporary - vary from day to day or even throughout the day
Diagnosis
- The central feature of DLB is progressive cognitive decline, combined with three additional defining features:
- Pronounced fluctuations in alertness and attention, such as frequent drowsiness, lethargy, lengthy periods of time spent staring into space, or disorganized speech;
- Recurrent visual hallucinations, and
- Parkinsonian motor symptoms, such as rigidity and the loss of spontaneous movement.
- People may also suffer from depression.
Treatment options
- There is no cure for DLB.
- Treatments are aimed at controlling the cognitive, psychiatric, and motor symptoms of the disorder.
- Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil and rivastigmine, are primarily used to treat the cognitive symptoms of DLB, but they may also be of some benefit in reducing the psychiatric and motor symptoms.
- Doctors tend to avoid prescribing antipsychotics for hallucinatory symptoms of DLB because of the risk that neuroleptic sensitivity could worsen the motor symptoms.
- Some individuals with DLB may benefit from the use of levodopa for their rigidity and loss of spontaneous movement.
Diseases with similar symptoms
- The similarity of symptoms between DLB and Parkinson’s disease, and between DLB and Alzheimer’s disease, can often make it difficult for a doctor to make a definitive diagnosis.
- In addition, Lewy bodies are often also found in the brains of people with Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s diseases.
- These findings suggest that either DLB is related to these other causes of dementia or that an individual can have both diseases at the same time.
Where to find medical care for Dementia with Lewy bodies?
Directions to Hospitals Treating Dementia with Lewy bodies
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
- Like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, DLB is a neuro-degenerative disorder that results in progressive intellectual and functional deterioration.
- There are no known therapies to stop or slow the progression of DLB.
- Average survival after the time of diagnosis is similar to that in Alzheimer’s disease, about 8 years, with progressively increasing disability.