Lewy body dementia constitutes a neurological ailment, akin to the more widely recognized Alzheimer's disease. This particular form of dementia predominantly impacts individuals aged 50 years or older. Lewy bodies are accumulations of misfolded proteins that manifest within the cerebral cortex. Upon their emergence, they precipitate various complications regarding the functional capacity of the brain, ultimately influencing cognitive processes, mnemonic faculties, and behavioral responses. In the United States, it is estimated that around 1.4 million individuals are affected by this condition. As the disease advances, symptoms can escalate in severity. There exists a classification system delineating seven distinct stages of Lewy body dementia. The forthcoming discourse will encapsulate a thorough exploration of Lewy body dementia and its corresponding stages.

Types of Lewy Body Dementia

Lewy body dementia has two types. Let's know about them.

•  Dementia with Lewy Bodies: Dementia, which contains lewy bodies, starts when you feel pain in moving your body. In a year you will start facing your memory and thinking problems. These problems are similar to Alzheimer disease. There are also changes in behaviour and hallucinations. 

• Parkinson" s Disease Dementia: This dementia is characterized by moving problems first. With the passage of time, trouble in thinking and memory happens. All people with Parkinson disease donot develop dementia.

Symptoms 

Dementia is related to a wide range of symptoms. These symptoms can be 

• Memory loss

• Loss of thinking

• Challenges in solving problems and planning

• Disability to finish familiar tasks.

• Misjudgement of visual distance and images

• Disorientation

• Problems in communication

• Problems in decision-making

• Misplacing things

• Socially isolating

• Mood Swings

• Personality changes

• Hallucinations

• Trouble in swallowing

Risk Factors of Lewy Body Dementia

A lot of things can contribute to be risk factors of Lewy body dementia

• Being a Male

• A family history of Lewy body dementia

• REM sleep disorder

• Older age

• Parkinson's Disease

Is this disease Hereditary?

No, it is not a  hereditary disease. If someone in your family has this disease. The chances of this disease developing in your body become more. Moreover, Some mutations in the genes can increase the risk of this disease.

Causes 

A protein alpha-synuclein makes Lewy bodies. Lewy bodies restrict our brain to form two crucial chemicals,  acetylcholine and dopamine. Dopamine links with your sleep, movement and mood swings. While,  acetylcholine is the chemical which affects your learning and memory. Doctors donot know the exact cause of lewy bodies formation. Doctors are researching in this area to know the exact causes.

7 Stages of Lewy Body Dementia

Stage 1: Early Symptoms

The first stage of lewy body dementia is known by its early symptoms. However, these symptoms are not recognized easily. The early symptoms are anxiety, depression, changes in mood and facing difficulty in decision-making. Moreover, many persons can also face a change in sleeping pattern. Memory problems are also the early symptoms of this disease. These symptoms are similar to that of Alzheimer and parkinson's disease. Movement problems are also a big problem in early days of lewy body dementia.

Stage 2: Mild Cognitive abilities loss

Mild cognitive impairment  shows  a loss in cognitive abilities. Patients can face a problem in concentrating their work and tasks. They cannot remember complicated things. They cannot complete their multitasks at this stage. However, in this stage the patient can live independently.

Stage 3: Mild Dementia

In this stage the problems become a little bit severe. Such as an increase in difficulty in multitasking and problem solving. The person becomes easily confused. The cognitive abilities are more affected in this stage and the person requires assistance to do his work.

Stage 4: Moderate Dementia

Moderate dementia is stage four of Lewy body dementia. This is the stage when a patient experiences a high degree of cognitive decline. They begin to experience trouble in performing daily activities. They also face paranoia and agitation. However, the person can recognize his family members and friends and can communicate with them.

Stage 5: Moderately Severe Dementia

This stage of Lewy body dementia is severe to a moderate degree. Patients experience a decrease in their ability to communicate with others. Now, they face a difficulty in recognizing their family members and other close people. But they can still recognize some familiar faces. They can also engage in some conversations at this stage.

Stage 6: Severe Dementia

It is the most severe stage of Lewy body dementia. At this stage, the patient forgets about his family members and faces difficulty in recognizing them. He begins to entirely depend on caretakers. Physical abilities of a patient are also declined at this stage and he experiences extreme behavioral changes. However, they can give a response to their familiar voices and music. It means they still have a sense of joy and comfort in them.

Stage 7: End Stage Dementia

The final and 7th stage of lewy body dementia. In this stage, the patient has a complete loss of memory. He finds difficulty in speaking and other movements. Moreover, end-stage dementia is not the end of life. The patient can still live for years.

Diagnosis 

There are different types of tests exist for this disease.Your doctor can do some tests according to your condition. These are the tests the doctor recommend

• A neurological test to test your movements and other actions

• A physical test 

• Blood tests which are to test your hormone and vitamin levels.

• A CT scan

• MRI scan to find changes in your brain.

• Positron Emission Tomography

• Single Photon Emission Tomography

• Memory tests

• Sleep tests

• Tests to check your blood flow to the heart

Treatment

There are no drugs available which can treat Lewy body dementia completely. However, there are some drugs which can relieve your symptoms. Researchers are doing their research to find a novel therapy for Lewy dementia through clinical trials.

FAQs

1. When to visit your doctor to diagnose Lewy body dementia?

If you find any change in your memory, movements and other habits visit your doctor as soon as possible to improve your life.

2.What are the safety measures for Lewy body dementia?

You have to follow some steps. Always take support from your friends and family. Call a medical alert service if you experience any unusual thing. Keep your living area in which you can move easily without the fear of falling. Install grills and ramps in your home for support.