Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) and PD (Parkinson’s disease)-related dementia are both examples of Lewy Body dementia (PDD). Impairments in movement, visual hallucinations, and changes in cognitive or attentional capacity are all very typical symptoms.
Dementia with Lewy Body Disease: What Is It?
Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) can affect thinking, behavior, and movement. Changes in thought and behavior precede DLB's typical mobility impairments. DLB patients often have movement problems like those with traditional Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson’s Disease with Dementia (PDD) versus Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB)
It's important to remember that some people with Parkinson's disease (PD) have trouble moving more than anything else, while others have no or very mild cognitive problems. However, Parkinson's disease is also linked to dementia in some cases. Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) is the condition in which dementia appears after an already present motor dysfunction. DLB describes a condition in which dementia appears before or alongside motor dysfunction. The sequence of symptoms in PDD and DLB is different, but there is a high degree of overlap between the two conditions, and the underlying brain changes as time goes on. So, many researchers and doctors see PDD and DLB as two ends of the same disease process, not as two different diseases.
What Causes DLB?
Nobody knows what triggers DLB. In DLB, researchers have found that the protein alpha-synuclein accumulates to dangerous levels. Lewy bodies are a subset of these clusters. We don't know what triggers alpha-synuclein accumulation in the brain, but it's known that it happens naturally there. As with Alzheimer's disease, Lewy bodies are observed in Parkinson's illness. The inability of nerve cells to carry out their normal functions and, ultimately, their death directly results from protein aggregation. As a result, the damaged regions of the brain atrophy.
What is Parkinsonism?
Parkinsonism describes the motor signs of PD, including tremors, stiffness, and walking/balance difficulties. These motor symptoms may be experienced by someone with both PD and LBD, as both are types of Parkinsonism. It is not always easy to tell the difference between Parkinson's disease and LBD since both can cause motor symptoms similar to those of Parkinsonism.
Is Lewy Bodies Genetic?
Lewy body disease (LBD) is characterized by the presence of Lewy bodies in the brain's nerve cells; hence, people with LBD have Lewy bodies in the brain. Lewy bodies are a hallmark of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease but are also associated with many other neurological disorders.
Most persons with Parkinson's disease also have a brain abnormality called Lewy bodies. Even if they have Lewy bodies, not all people with Parkinson's will get LBD. Although some cases of PD can be traced back to a genetic cause, light-sensitive dystonia (LBD) rarely occurs for this reason. Even though LBD isn't usually thought of as a genetic disease, some families have a genetic mutation that makes LBD more likely. However, roughly 10% to 15% of PD cases are inherited.
Is Dementia a Symptom of Both?
Dementia is one of the most common symptoms of both PD and LBD. According to some research, about 78% of those with PD will acquire dementia. In particular, almost half of people with Parkinson's disease will acquire a form of dementia known as Parkinson's Dementia, typically between the ages of 10 and 15 years after their initial diagnosis of PD.
Insomnia, difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, mental slowing, sadness, mood swings, delusions, and hallucinations are among the symptoms typically experienced by those with Parkinson's Dementia.
In contrast to LBD, the symptoms of Parkinson's dementia (such as dementia symptoms or motor symptoms) tend to show up earlier in the disease's course. Dementia in patients with Parkinson's Dementia typically develops years after the onset of motor symptoms typical of the disease. Patients with LBD, on the other hand, will first exhibit dementia signs, followed possibly by motor problems.
To Wrap Up
It's important to keep in mind that people react differently to illnesses. If you have Parkinson's disease, you can expect symptoms that are both typical and unique to you. Despite the biochemical similarities between PD and LBD, most people with PD do not also have LBD, and vice versa.