Focus on Lewy Body Dementia

Each month through September, we are featuring facts about Alzheimer’s and Dementia. This month the focus is on Lewy body dementia.

Most experts estimate that Lewy body dementia represents approximately 10 to 20% of all dementias. Abnormal protein structures called Lewy bodies, which are made up of alpha-synuclein, appear in the brain, causing cells to die.

Many people with Parkinson’s disease eventually develop problems with thinking and reasoning, and many people with Lewy body dementia eventually experience movement symptoms, such as hunched posture, rigid muscles, a shuffling walk and trouble initiating movement.