Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is one of the most common types of progressive dementia. The central feature of DLB is progressive cognitive decline, combined with three additional defining features: (1) pronounced “fluctuations” in alertness and attention, such as frequent drowsiness, lethargy, lengthy periods of time spent staring into space, or disorganized speech; (2) recurrent visual hallucinations, and (3) parkinsonian motor symptoms, such as rigidity and the loss of spontaneous movement. People may also suffer from depression. The symptoms of DLB are caused by the build-up of Lewy bodies – 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." 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. DLB usually occurs sporadically, in people with no known family history of the disease. However, rare familial cases have occasionally been reported.
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.
Like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, DLB is a neurodegenerative 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.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) conducts research related to DLB in laboratories at the
NIH and also supports additional research through grants to major medical institutions across the country. Much of this research
focuses on searching for the genetic roots of DLB, exploring the molecular mechanisms of alpha-synuclein accumulation, and
discovering how Lewy bodies cause the particular symptoms of DLB and the other synucleinopathies. The goal of NINDS research
is to find better ways to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure disorders such as DLB.
Lewy Body Dementia Association P.O. Box 451429 Atlanta, GA 31145-9429 lbda@lbda.org http://www.lewybodydementia.org Tel: Telephone: 404-935-6444 Helpline: 800-LEWYSOS (539-9767) Fax: 480-422-5434 |
Alzheimer's Disease Education
and Referral Center (ADEAR) P.O. Box 8250 Silver Spring, MD 20907-8250 adear@nia.nih.gov http://www.alzheimers.nia.nih.gov Tel: 301-495-3311 800-438-4380 Fax: 301-495-3334 |
Alzheimer's Association 225 North Michigan Avenue 17th Floor Chicago, IL 60601-7633 info@alz.org http://www.alz.org Tel: 312-335-8700 1-800-272-3900 (24-hour helpline) TDD: 312-335-5886 Fax: 866.699.1246 |
Family Caregiver Alliance/
National Center on Caregiving 180 Montgomery Street Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94104 info@caregiver.org http://www.caregiver.org Tel: 415-434-3388 800-445-8106 Fax: 415-434-3508 |
Prepared by:
Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
NINDS health-related material is provided for information purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient's medical history.
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Last updated December 09, 2008