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Lewy body dementia (LBD) is the second-most-common neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s Disease

LBD symptoms include cognitive and motor declines, hallucinations, and acting out dreams.

People who experience LBD often do not receive a correct diagnosis initially.

Navigating the healthcare system with LBD presents unique challenges.

A reminder from an earlier post: Dementia is not a disease, per se. It is a cluster of symptoms that stem from many potential diseases. The field of gerontology refers to Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (acronym ADRD). Well, it’s time to take a look at those related dementias. What kind of relatives are they?

Lewy body dementia (LBD) is the second-most-common neurodegenerative cause of dementia, after Alzheimer’s Disease. But it's the most-common cause that doesn’t receive sufficient attention.

You may have heard about Lewy body dementia because actor and comedian Robin Williams had the disease. He received outstanding medical care; he saw specialists and underwent state-of-the-art tests. Before his death, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and depression, but an autopsy revealed he'd had Lewy body dementia all along, although multiple doctors missed the diagnosis. It just wasn’t on their radar.

Symptoms that LBD Shares with Other Dementias

LBD can start out with motor declines resembling those of Parkinson’s disease; cognitive declines and other symptoms arise later. Or it can start with cognitive changes, with motor symptoms developing later. In other words, it shares symptoms with other dementias in its earliest phases.

People with LBD show emotional, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms common across dementias:

Difficulties thinking and paying attention.

Getting lost and not knowing where they are

Apathy and problems motivating themselves to engage in........

© Psychology Today