last updated 17-03-2024

Lewy body dementia

Lewy body dementia

Lewy body dementia has clinical features that are similar to both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. It was for this reason that it remained a hidden illness until being described in the mid 80's. Therefore the slide indicates those features that differentiate Lewy body dementia from the other two illnesses. The Lewy bodies that are found throughout the cortex and midbrain of patients lead to prominent loss of memory and executive functioning.

 

The severity of these symptoms fluctuates and includes episodes of pseudodelirium. Prominent psychotic symptoms occur early in the illness. However, treatment with antipsychotic agents doubles the rate of cognitive decline and halves the life span of patients with Lewy body dementia. Acutely, patients can manifest severe akinesia, dystonias and neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).

 

1

Treatment of Lewy body dementia associated hallucinations with haloperidol can lead to all the following EXCEPT: 

2

A practical diagnostic tool for Lewy body dementia includes seeing the clinical response to: