Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Dementia with Lewy Bodies (abbreviated DLB) is a type of dementia with symptoms that are similar to Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. DLB is characterized by the person having the same symptoms as with Alzheimer's disease, but in addition to that, they have vivid hallucinations and some Parkinson's symptoms (such as slow movements and stiff muscles).

In DLB, a protein, called alpha-synuclein, is deposited within the nerve cells in the brain and form so-called Lewy bodies that gave the disease its name. It is the same change that occurs in the brain during Parkinson's disease. In Parkinson's disease, the changes mainly occur in the brain stem (substantia nigra), in DLB, the deposits are more frequently in the cerebral cortex. The reason for the difference is unknown.