Also called: Also called: Dementia with Lewy bodies
Lewy body disease is one of the most common causes of dementia in the elderly. Dementia is the loss of mental functions severe enough to affect normal activities and relationships. Lewy body disease happens when abnormal structures, called Lewy bodies, build up in areas of the brain. The disease may cause a wide range of symptoms, including
- Changes in alertness and attention
- Hallucinations
- Problems with movement and posture
- Muscle stiffness
- Confusion
- Loss of memory
Lewy body disease can be hard to diagnose, because Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease cause similar symptoms. Scientists think that Lewy body disease might be related to these diseases, or that they sometimes happen together.
Lewy body disease usually begins between the ages of 50 and 85. The disease gets worse over time. There is no cure. Treatment focuses on drugs to help symptoms.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Dementia with Lewy Bodies
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementiawithlewybodies/dementiawithlewybodies.htm
- Lewy Body Dementia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/lewy-body-dementia/DS00795/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- What is Lewy Body Dementia?(Lewy Body Dementia Association) - http://www.lbda.org/category/3437/what-is-lbd.htm
- Dementia with Lewy Bodies(Alzheimer's Association) - http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_dementia_with_lewy_bodies.asp
- Dementia Care(Lewy Body Dementia Association) - http://www.lewybodydementia.org/AR0507TJF.php
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Lewy Body Disease(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Lewy+Body+Disease%22
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Dementia: Hope through Research(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementias/detail_dementia.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/las_demencias.htm
- Article: Incidental Lewy body disease and preclinical Parkinson disease. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18695057&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Delayed blink reflex in dementia with Lewy bodies is sensitive... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18670247&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Differentiating Alzheimer's disease from dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18632004&tool=MedlinePlus
- Lewy Body Disease -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=lewy+body+disease[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- CareFinder: Glossary(Alzheimer's Association) - http://www.alz.org/carefinder/support/glossary.asp
- Lewy Body Dementia Glossary(Lewy Body Dementia Association) - http://www.lewybodydementia.org/glossary.php
- Find a Neurologist(American Academy of Neurology) - http://www.thebrainmatters.org/index.cfm?key=1.2.2
- Lewy Body Dementia Association - http://www.lbda.org/
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
- Lewy Body Digest(Lewy Body Dementia Association) - http://www.lewybodydementia.org/newsletter.php
- Alzheimer's Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alzheimersdisease.html
- Dementia - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dementia.html
- Parkinson's Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/parkinsonsdisease.html
- Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Lewy Body Disease is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/