What is Lewy Body dementia?

Lewy body dementia occurs when there is a build up of tiny lumps of protein (lewy bodies) in the brain which will negatively impact the overall functioning of the brain. It mainly impacts the parts of the brain responsible for thinking, memory and movement. Similar protein build ups can be seen with people with Parkinson’s disease, and unfortunately, a lot of people with Parkinson’s will go on to develop dementia that is linked with lewy body dementia. 

Is it common?

About one in ten people who have dementia will have lewy body type dementia. It normally impacts older people but there are occurrences in people younger than sixty five. It’s rarity can often mean that this type of dementia is mistaken for Alzheimer’s. The person may get symptoms akin to Parkinson’s such as loss of facial expression, shuffling when walking and moving and stiffness in the arms and legs. 

What are typical symptoms?

People with lewy body often have very vivid, clear hallucinations, (we cover this in our article here about hallucinations and what they result from, consist of and actions to tackle them).

The symptoms come and go on a daily basis, and the patient will often doze through large parts of the day, followed by vivid hallucinations in the evening. This can often be coupled with nightmares, falls and fainting. As a result, sleeping difficulties will be very common. There may also be problems with fouling as bowel movements become harder to manage. More details on sleep is covered here.

It is this type of behaviour that will lead the doctor to diagnosing Lewy body dementia. 

Lewy body dementia is a prime example of why it is so important to understand what the underlying cause of the dementia is at play, as unfortunately, they are often prescribed medication that is wholly unsuitable, in an attempt to pacify and tranquilise them!

Medications

As has often been the case, patients suffering with hallucinations have been given antipsychotic medication, which they should not be given. The medication will tend not to work, and can in fact, cause strokes and/or other fatal conditions. In Lewy body dementia, there is a particular risk from antipsychotic medication that will reduce life expectancy and incur very damaging side effects that can be irreversible if not dealt with quickly. 

It is imperative that you know what medication has been given to the patient or is being prescribed. If new medication is administered in your absence, for example, in an emergency, make sure you ask what it is for, what it does, what are the side effects etc etc. One important thing to remember, always ask your pharmacist. They have swathes of knowledge and will be happy to help to make sure you are always educated on what is on the medicine list for the patient. Remember, some medicines are the same but have different names. 

Drugs that are prescribed for Alzheimer’s are not ‘licensed’ for people with lewy body dementia, although some are used for good reason. However, if the drug is not licensed for the type of dementia then there is a heightened risk attached. As always, check with your pharmacist or discuss this further with your care professionals to ensure the right care treatment is available for the dementia patient. If you have any concerns with the treatment that they are receiving you can always seek a second opinion.