At Mayo Clinic, we take the time to listen, to find answers and to provide you the best care.
Lewy body dementia, the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer's disease, causes a progressive decline in mental abilities.
It may also cause visual hallucinations, which generally take the form of objects, people or animals that aren't there. This can lead to unusual behavior such as having conversations with deceased loved ones.
Another indicator of Lewy body dementia may be significant fluctuations in alertness and attention, which may include daytime drowsiness or periods of staring into space. And, like Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia can result in rigid muscles, slowed movement and tremors.
In Lewy body dementia, protein deposits, called Lewy bodies, develop in nerve cells in regions of your brain involved in thinking, memory and movement (motor control).
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Lewy body dementia signs and symptoms may include:
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The cause of Lewy body dementia isn't known, but the disorder may be related to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.
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At Mayo Clinic, we take the time to listen, to find answers and to provide you the best care.
To be diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, you must have experienced a progressive decline in your ability to think, as well as two of the following:
In addition, one or more of the following features are considered supportive of the diagnosis of Lewy body dementia:
No single test can diagnose Lewy body dementia. Instead, doctors diagnose your condition through ruling out other conditions that may cause similar signs and symptoms. Tests may include:
As part of your physical examination, your doctor may also check for signs of Parkinson's disease, strokes, tumors or other medical conditions that can impair brain function as well as physical function. The neurological examination may test:
A short form of this type of test, which assesses your memory and thinking skills, can be done in less than 10 minutes in your doctor's office but is generally not useful in distinguishing Lewy body dementia from Alzheimer's disease. Longer forms of neuropsychological testing can take several hours, but these tests help identify your condition.
Your results are then compared with those of people from a similar age and education level. This can help distinguish normal from abnormal cognitive aging, and may help identify patterns in cognitive functions that provide clues to the underlying condition.
Simple blood tests can rule out physical problems that can affect brain function, such as vitamin B-12 deficiency or an underactive thyroid gland.
If your confusion comes and goes, your doctor may suggest an EEG. This test can help determine if your symptoms may be caused by seizures or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare, degenerative brain disorder that leads to dementia. This painless test records the electrical activity in your brain via wires attached to your scalp.
Your doctor may order an MRI, PET or CT scan to check for evidence of Alzheimer's disease, stroke or bleeding, and to rule out the possibility of a tumor.
Your doctor may order a sleep evaluation to assess for REM sleep behavior disorder or an autonomic function test to look for signs of heart rate and blood pressure instability.
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Lewy body dementia is progressive. Signs and symptoms worsen, causing:
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People with dementia often experience a worsening of their symptoms when they are frustrated or anxious. The following techniques may help promote relaxation.
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Each person with Lewy body dementia and other dementias experience symptoms and progression differently. Consequently, techniques to care for each person vary. Caregivers may need to adapt the following tips to individual situations:
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People with Lewy body dementia often experience a mixture of emotions, such as confusion, frustration, anger, fear, uncertainty, grief and depression.
You can help a person cope with the disease by listening, reassuring the person that he or she still can enjoy life, being supportive and positive, and doing your best to help the person retain dignity and self-respect.
If you're a caregiver for someone with Lewy body dementia, watch the person closely to make sure he or she doesn't fall, lose consciousness or react negatively to medications. You can should also reassure the person during times of confusion, delusions or hallucinations.
The physical and emotional demands of caregiving can be exhausting. You may experience feelings of anger, guilt, frustration, discouragement, worry, grief or social isolation. If you're a caregiver for someone with Lewy body dementia, you can help yourself and help prevent caregiver burnout by doing the following:
Many people with Lewy body dementia and their families can benefit from counseling or local support groups. Contact your local agencies on health or aging to get connected with support groups, doctors, resources, referrals, home care agencies, supervised living facilities, a telephone help line and educational seminars.
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Although the cause of Lewy body dementia isn't clear, several factors appear to increase the risk of developing the disease. They include:
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