Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My father was first told he had Parkinson's disease, but after more testing and the development of hallucinations and memory problems, another doctor mentioned that he may actually have Lewy body dementia.
We are honestly confused about the difference between the two. How does Lewy body dementia differ from Parkinson's disease at the age of 55? The symptoms seem to overlap so much that we do not really understand what makes them different conditions.
Kindly help.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
I read your query and understood your concern.
Lewy body dementia (LBD) is an inclusive term that comprises two distinct illnesses:
Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD).
Lewy bodies refer to a type of protein accumulation that occurs in the brain. The main differences between dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) are the symptoms that appear first and how they are managed.
In Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), the symptoms usually begin with movement problems such as rigidity, resting tremor, and bradykinesia (slowness of movement). Memory and thinking problems tend to develop later and are often less severe in the early stages. Many people with PDD respond well to Levodopa therapy for their movement symptoms.
Whereas for DLB, the cognitive symptoms dominate at first, people may have hallucinations, fluctuations in their ability to pay attention and stay awake, and rapidly progressing dementia. The motor symptoms may also be there, but may not show up at first.
People with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are also more sensitive to antipsychotic medications, a condition known as neuroleptic hypersensitivity, which means they can develop severe extrapyramidal side effects after taking these drugs. In addition, Levodopa may sometimes worsen hallucinations, making treatment more challenging.
I hope this helps you better understand the difference between parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).
I hope you are satisfied with my answer. For further queries, you can consult me at iCliniq.
Thank you.
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
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