Definition of Lewy Body Disease

What is Lewy Body Disease?

Lewy body disease is the most common type of dementia seen in the elderly.^[1] It is sometimes referred to as dementia with Lewy bodies.^[2] It affects over 800,000 people in the United States and causes up to 20% of all dementia cases.^[3] It usually strikes people between the ages of 50 and 85 and affects men more often than women.

This condition causes a protein to be deposited in the brain.^[4][5] These protein deposits are called Lewy bodies. They occur in parts of the brain that control memory and movement. Lewy bodies were first described by Frederich Heinrich Lewy, a physician.^[2]

This disease is similar to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease but has some unique aspects.^[1][6] Someone with Lewy body disease may have visual hallucinations, that is, see things that aren't there such as unusual colors, shapes, animals and people. This is often the first symptom of the disease. People with the condition also have problems with alertness, memory loss, posture, moving, confusion and muscle stiffness.^[1][4] Someone with the disease may live anywhere from 6 to 12 years after they first develop symptoms.^[7]