Every year, thousands of American seniors are told they have Parkinson’s disease, but they don’t. For many of these patients, the true diagnosis is a similar but lesser-known disease: dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).
Dementia with Lewy bodies affects as many as 1.3 million Americans, according to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA). That estimate may be too low since some people who have been inaccurately diagnosed with Parkinson’s still haven’t received a correct diagnosis. Symptoms for the two diseases can be very similar, especially as they progress, since they reflect the same underlying changes in the brain.
Here are the symptoms you should know about, according to the LBDA:
- Worsening dementia – Increasing confusion and decreasing attention and executive function are typical. Memory impairment may not be evident in the early stages.
- Recurrent visual hallucinations – These are typically complex and detailed.
- Hallucinations of other senses – Touch or hearing are the most common.
- REM sleep behavior disorder – This can appear years before the onset of dementia and Parkinson’s.
- Repeated falls and fainting – Includes unexplained loss of consciousness.
- Other psychiatric disturbances – These vary from patient to patient.
Is a correct diagnosis really so important? Diagnosing DLB quickly and accurately could mean the difference between life and death, according to Howard I. Hurtig, M.D., Chair, Department of Neurology, Pennsylvania Hospital and Elliott Professor of Neurology. Incorrectly treating DLB can not only cause serious side effects, but can even worsen symptoms and prevent appropriate symptom management.
Some of the confusion among doctors stems from the fact that both Parkinson’s disease and DLB fall under the same umbrella of Lewy body dementias.
The main difference is in the “one-year rule” related to cognitive symptoms. Patients with Parkinson’s disease typically do not present cognitive issues until at least a year after movement symptoms begin. DLB is the opposite, with cognitive symptoms appearing first for at least a year.
Learn more about the differences between Parkinson’s and dementia with Lewy bodies from ScienceDaily.
Independence-4-Seniors Home Care provides high-quality senior home care services in Cook, DuPage, Will and Kane counties. We also provide “Habilitation Therapy,” considered to be the best standard of care for all dementias, focusing on each person’s remaining abilities and aiming to create and maintain a positive emotional state each day. Call us at 630-323-4665 to arrange for a free Alzheimer’s home care assessment or to learn more about how we can assist your loved one with dementia.