Dementia with Lewy Bodies: Current Concepts

• Published in: Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders 2005-01, Vol.20 (5), p.306-320
• Main Authors: Buracchio, Teresa, Arvanitakis, Zoe, Gorbien, Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Alzheimer Disease - genetics; Alzheimer Disease - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Chemistry - physiology; Cardiac dysrhythmias; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cognition - physiology; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Dementia; Heart; Humans; Lewy Body Disease - diagnosis; Lewy Body Disease - drug therapy; Lewy Body Disease - genetics; Lewy Body Disease - pathology; Lewy Body Disease - psychology; Medical sciences; Neurology; Parkinson Disease - genetics; Parkinson Disease - psychology; Review Article; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system
• ISSN: 1420-8008; 1421-9824
• DOI: 10.1159/000088346

As life expectancy continues to increase over time, dementia is becoming an increasingly more common problem and a major cause of disability in older persons. It is now more important than ever to identify and manage common causes of dementia given variations in disease course, treatments and the possibility for modification of risk factors. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a dementia syndrome characterized by progressive cognitive decline, with fluctuating cognition, recurrent detailed and well-formed hallucinations, and parkinsonism. This article aims to provide an overview of current concepts of DLB, including a description of the key clinical features and neuropathology, neurochemistry, and genetics of DLB, then a discussion of the relationship of DLB with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and, finally, a summary of current management strategies available for this disorder.