brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Dementia With Lewy Bodies and Parkinson Disease Dementia
Introduction
Dementia with Lewy bodiesis progressive loss of mental function characterized by the development of Lewy bodies in nerve cells.Parkinson disease dementiais loss of mental function characterized by the development of Lewy bodies in people who have Parkinson disease. People who have dementia with Lewy bodies fluctuate between alertness and drowsiness and may have hallucinations, difficulty drawing, and difficulty moving that is similar to that due to Parkinson disease. Parkinson disease dementia typically develops about 10 to 15 years after other symptoms of Parkinson disease. Diagnosis is based on symptoms. Strategies are used to prolong functioning as long as possible, and the medications used to treat Alzheimer disease may help. (See also Overview of Delirium and Dementia and Dementia with Lewy bodies is the third most common type of dementia. Dementia with Lewy bodies usually develops in people older than 60. About 40% of people with Parkinson Disease (PD) develop Parkinson disease dementia. The dementia usually develops after age 70 and about 10 to 15 years after Parkinson disease is diagnosed. Dementia is a slow, progressive decline in mental function including memory, thinking, judgment, and the ability to learn. Dementia differs from Delirium , which is characterized by an inability to pay attention, disorientation, an inability to think clearly, and fluctuations in the level of alertness. Dementia affects mainly memory, and delirium affects mainly attention. Dementia typically begins gradually and has no definite beginning point. Delirium begins suddenly and often has a definite beginning point. 