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Diagnosing Lewy Body Disease
Because Lewy body disease is similar to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, diagnosis can be difficult.[5][13] It is important to diagnose it correctly because it develops differently from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Because it is hard to diagnose, many tests may be required. It will be important to rule out other conditions. Your doctor will ask questions about symptoms and medical history. With more information, the doctor will be better able to assist you. The doctor may want to conduct the following tests:
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Brain function tests – The doctor will test memory, speech and thinking. You or your loved one will be asked questions to assess these abilities. Results will be compared with results from other people of similar age and education. The doctor may want to talk with other people about these functions. They may be asked about use of alcohol and head injuries that occurred in the past. The doctor will want to know if there have been any personality changes.
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Psychiatric tests – Tests will be performed to see if depression or other mental problems are present.
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Blood tests – Blood will be collected to look for infection, vitamin deficiencies, medicine levels and disorders of certain organs such as the liver, thyroid and kidneys. Collecting blood will take only a few minutes and will involve inserting a small needle into a vein in your arm. There may be slight bruising later.
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Brain imaging – The doctor may want to take pictures of the brain to look for problems such as stroke or tumors. Pictures may be taken with an x-ray machine (CT scan), radio waves (MRI) or small amounts of radioactive material (PET). The PET scan can show images of blood flow in the brain.
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Other tests – Your doctor may order other tests in order to make sure of the correct diagnosis.
Typically, three symptoms are used to distinguish Lewy body dementia from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.[2] Lewy body dementia has changing levels of alertness, visual hallucinations (seeing things that aren't there) and movement problems.
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