Guest guest Posted May 1, 2002 Report Share Posted May 1, 2002 HELLO ALL.. MY NAME IS LINDA AND I TAKE CARE OF MY FATHER IN LAW THAT HAS DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BODIES.. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE LOVE ONES WITH THIS. ? LOOK FORWARD TO HEREING FORM YOU . ALL.. THANKS . LINDAD ( MISSOURI) MY FATHER IN LAW HAS MOST OF THIS SO FAR.. Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) is a progressive dementia, the hallmarks of which are hallucinations and fluctuating levels of attention. Some rigidity and stiffness may be seen. There may also be a disturbed sleep pattern with nightmares and abnormal behaviour. DLB is thought to be due to a faulty production of a protein, which then builds up within the nerve cells of the brain. Cognitive decline is always a feature and memory problems occur in two out of three patients. Characteristically these fluctuate in severity and are associated with various degrees of alertness and attention span. There are increasing problems of daily living. Stiffness is seen which appears similar to that of Parkinson’s disease and repeated falls often occur. Visual hallucinations are present in 80% of patients and appear very detailed and real and are usually related to people or animals. These hallucinations often occur at night. Other behavioural problems similar to those seen in Fronto-temporal dementia may be seen although not usually in the early stages the illness. Neuroleptics should be avoided in view of sensitivity to side effects. The side effects may cause rigidity and confusion and even reported sudden death. In a last resort atypical (newer) neuroleptics may help. DLB is thought to be the second commonest degenerative dementia after AD .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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