Health: Dementia

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Health: Dementia

02 March 2010

By Deveney

But Maggie has Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), a condition few have heard of

despite it being the second most common form of degenerative brain disease in

the world. It accounts for one in seven of dementia cases and is closely linked

to Parkinson's disease. Both are caused by Lewy bodies, small deposits of

protein in the brain which cause brain cell abnormalities. Lewy bodies interfere

with the normal activity of brain cells and cause a gradual loss of control of

bodily functions. Walking, talking and eating become difficult and people with

DLB are often incontinent. They sleep a great deal during the day but have

disturbed nights, and while they typically have fewer memory problems than

Alzheimer's patients, sequencing thoughts and planning ahead can be difficult.

One of the definitive characteristics of the disease is experiencing

hallucinations. A person who doesn't exist sitting in the room. Non existent

children playing in the garden beyond the window. A phantom dog who must be

walked. But sufferers' abilities vary from day to day and even from one minute

to the next and these fluctuating levels of consciousness and awareness

sometimes cause carers to mistakenly assume they are " putting it on " or " being

difficult " . It is a bit like a faulty electrical connection; there can be a

surge of normality one minute as the wires connect, then sudden failure the next

as they lose contact.

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