- Prevalence: Approximately 15% of all dementia diagnosed
- Associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These deposits, called Lewy Bodies, affect chemicals in the brain whose changes, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behaviours, and mood
Whilst some of the symptoms of LBD are similar to Alzheimer’s such as memory difficulties, people with LBD can experience some of the following physical symptoms which distinguish it from other forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s:
- Muscle rigidity or stiffness
- Shuffling walk, slow movement, or frozen stance
- Tremor or shaking, most commonly at rest
- Balance problems and repeated falls
- Stooped posture
- Loss of coordination
- difficulty swallowing
These symptoms may present at different rates or in some instances can only materialise at different times.
Please click on the next lesson to explore the progression of dementia
