neurodegenerative
Lewy body dementia
with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a type of dementia characterized by changes in sleep, behavior, cognition, movement, and regulation of automatic bodily functions. Unlike some other dementias, memory loss may not be an early symptom. The disease worsens over time and is usually diagnosed when impairment interferes with normal daily functioning. Together with Parkinson's disease dementia, DLB is one of the two Lewy body dementias. It is a common form of dementia, but the is not known accurately and many diagnoses are missed. The disease was first described on autopsy by Kenji Kosaka in 1976, and he named the condition several years later.
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Symptoms — what it feels like
- ·, abnormal behavior during REM sleep, fluctuations in alertness, visual hallucinations, parkinsonism
Causes — why it happens
- ·Unknown
How it's found
- ·Based on symptoms and biomarkers
Complications
- · , injuries from falling, dysautonomia
Outlook
- ·Variable; average survival four years from
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