The
symptoms of this condition include those usually found in psychotic
illnesses, and include hallucinations, delusions and mood violent
swings. The sufferer is also prone to falls and memory lapses, although
these may be on a day to day basis. This form of dementia in younger
people in UK accounts for 17% of all dementias' (Tobianksy, 1994)
and comprises a sub-set of disorders. The disease is named after
the formation of abnormal lumps in nerve cells, called Lewy Bodies
At the onset Diagnosis
may be contiguous with psychotic illness, however once dementia
is established as core, it is often diagnosed as Alzheimer's Disease,
Vascular dementia or a form of Parkinson's Disease - with which
it shares many characteristics. Tests will be performed to test
blood and neuroimaging, however final diagnosis will usually be
determined by physical & psychological indicators, as above;
frequent falls, hallucinations and irregular memory - especially
loss of short-term memory, or the opposite state where memory will
not go
Treatment is difficult
due to the conflicting requirments of psychosis and Parkinsonism,
as a high percentage of sufferers have adverse reactions to anti-psychotic
drugs. Recent trials with the drugs Clozapine & Olanzapine
are seen to be reducing psychosis without accelerating Parkinsonism
There is no known current
treatment that can halt the progress of this form of Dementia; although
we know that medical science is constantly searching for therapy
that not only will halt onset, but reverse progression. We live
in hope
For futher information
see http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pathology/lewy/lewyinfo.html
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