Lewy Body Disease

Lewy Body Disease, also called dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), is one of the most common types of progressive dementia.^[1] The central feature of DLB is progressive cognitive decline, combined with three additional defining features: (1) pronounced "fluctuations" in alertness and attention, such as frequent drowsiness, lethargy, lengthy periods of time spent staring into space, or disorganized speech; (2) recurrent visual hallucinations, and (3) Parkinsonian motor symptoms, such as rigidity and the loss of spontaneous movement.^[1]

The similarity of symptoms between DLB and Parkinson's disease, and between DLB and Alzheimer's disease, can often make it difficult for a doctor to make a definitive diagnosis.^[1] DLB usually occurs sporadically, in people with no known family history of the disease. However, rare familial cases have occasionally been reported.^[1]