dementia with Lewy bodies
Last reviewed 07/2023
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common cause of dementia in the elderly after Alzheimer's disease.
The core feature of DLB is a progressive dementia, however other features are characteristic:
- Parkinsonism often accompanies, or even precedes, the dementia
- the level of cognitive impairment fluctuates from hour to hour and day to day
- complex visual hallucinations are common
- the patient is very sensitive to neuroleptic medication