Lewy body dementia: symptoms, causes and treatment

Definition of Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia)

What is Lewy body dementia (LBD)?

Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia) or LBD is a type of dementia that occurs due to the buildup of Lewy body protein in the brain. This protein is formed when formed in nerve cells in the part of the brain that regulates thinking, memory, and body movement (motor).

LBD causes a drastic decrease in mental abilities of the sufferer. Unfortunately, this disease is quite difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are similar to Parkinson's disease or schizophrenia, so it is often misdiagnosed.

This type of dementia is a progressive disease, which means that symptoms start slowly and worsen over time. The disease lasts an average of 5 to 8 years from diagnosis to death, but the time span can range from 2 to 20 years.

How quickly symptoms develop and change varies widely from person to person, depending on health, age, and overall symptom severity.

How common is this condition?

Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia) is a type of dementia that commonly strikes after Alzheimer's disease.

In some cases, this disease was detected along with Alzheimer's disease. This is known as combined dementia. In addition, LBD can also occur together with other brain disorders.

Signs & symptoms of Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia)

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia) that generally occur are:

Visual hallucinations

Hallucinations are usually the first symptom to appear, and will often recur. These hallucinations can take the form of seeing a person, animal, or certain forms that are not actually there. Sometimes also appear hallucinations of sound, smell, or the sense of touch.

Movement disorders

This disorder is similar to the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as slowed body movements, stiff muscles, tremors, or a dragged gait.

Disorders of body functions regulated by the autonomic nervous system

The nervous system that is often affected by Lewy body dementia is usually the system that regulates blood pressure, pulse, sweat production, and the digestive system.

As a result, sufferers often become dizzy, fall, and experience digestive problems such as constipation.

Cognitive disorders

Patients will experience thinking (cognitive) disorders similar to those of Alzheimer's sufferers, such as confusion, inability to focus, visual-spatial problems, and memory loss.

Sleep disturbance

Patients may experience REM (rapid eye movement) sleep disorders which can make their bodies move to follow dreams while they are sleeping.

Can't focus

Sufferers are sometimes suddenly drowsy, are silent and look at a point for a long time, take long naps, and talk inconsequently.

Depression and loss of motivation

Some LBD sufferers also show symptoms of depression, such as mood swings and loss of motivation to carry out various activities or things they previously liked.

When to see a doctor

If you feel or see a relative experiencing the symptoms mentioned above, see a doctor immediately.

Early treatment can help patients have a better quality of life and prevent complications such as worsening depression and even death.

Causes of Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia)

The cause of Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia) is the buildup of protein (called Lewy body) that forms in brain cells that control thinking functions, visual perception, and muscle movement.

How these protein deposits form and destroy the mechanism is not certain. However, some researchers say that protein deposits interfere with normal brain function by disrupting the signals sent between brain cells.

Risk factors for Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia)

There are several things that have been found to make the risk of Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia) higher in a person, namely:

• Age older than 60.
• Have a male gender.
• Have family members who have LBD, or who have Parkinson's disease.
• Have depression.

Diagnosis & treatment of Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia)

The information below cannot be used as a substitute for a medical consultation. ALWAYS consult your doctor for information about medications.

There is no one specific test that can clearly diagnose Lewy body dementia. Doctors usually need to do the following:

• Symptom check, for example whether there are symptoms that are characteristic of Lewy body dementia.
• Assessment of mental abilities through a number of questions.
• Blood test to check that the symptoms you are experiencing are not caused by another medical condition.
• Brain scans, for example with an MRI, CT scan, or SPECT, which can detect signals of dementia and other problems in the brain.

How to treat Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia)?

Currently there is no drug that can cure LBD, nor to slow its progress. However, there are several medications that can help control the appearance of symptoms for several years, including:

Taking medication

Patients with this type of dementia can be treated with Alzheimer's drugs, such as rivastigmine (Exelon), donepezil (Aricept) and galantamine (Razadyne).

These drugs work by increasing the levels of chemical messengers that are believed to be important for memory, thinking, and judgment (neurotransmitters) in the brain.

This medication can also help increase alertness and cognition, and may help reduce hallucinations and other behavioral problems.

Possible side effects may include gastrointestinal upset, excessive salivation and tearing, and frequent urination.

In addition, the drug memantine can also be prescribed together with Parkinson's disease drugs, such as carbidopa-levodopa (Sinemet, Rytary, Duopa) to relieve muscle stiffness and slow motion.

However, these drugs can also increase confusion, hallucinations, and delusions. Your doctor may also prescribe medication to treat sleep disorders.

Undergo therapy

In addition to taking medication, patients will also be asked to undergo behavioral therapy to help patients cope with the symptoms they are experiencing.

Home treatment of Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia)

If a family member or loved one has Lewy body dementia, you should pay attention to everything you do

The goal is to prevent them from falling, losing consciousness, or experiencing negative side effects from the medicines given by the doctor. Relax and be there when he experiences confusion, delusions, or hallucinations.

Some tips to help patients undergo home remedies:

Speak clearly and simply

Maintain eye contact while talking, and speak slowly, in simple sentences, and don't rush the sufferer to answer.

Convey ideas or instructions one by one, not all at once. Also use gestures for example by pointing to certain objects.

Get some exercise

Regular exercise can help improve bodily functions, correct behavior problems, and prevent symptoms of depression. A number of studies have also shown that exercise can slow the decline in brain function in people with dementia.

Perform brain stimulation

Playing games, crossword puzzles, puzzles, and other activities that involve thinking skills can help slow mental decline in dementia patients.

Create an evening routine

Behavioral problems in people with dementia are usually worse at night. Establish a bedtime routine to set a calm and comfortable atmosphere for the sufferer, without distraction from television noises or noisy children.

Use dim light sleepers that are soothing but still provide light to prevent sufferers from falling when they wake up at night.

Prevention of Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia)

To date, there is no single proven way to prevent the development of Lewy body dementia (Lewy body dementia). Given, the causes and mechanisms of damage in the brain are also still unknown.