Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) remains one of the less well known forms of dementia, despite accounting for 20% of all dementia cases in the UK.
The symptoms can vary significantly from the more widely recognised ones of Alzheimer’s disease and quality of life for those affected is often much poorer.
Alongside the cognitive symptoms of memory loss and confusion, those living with Dementia with Lewy Bodies also tend to experience challenging non-cognitive symptoms such as hallucinations, disturbed sleep, depression and problems with walking.
Combined, these symptoms make life extremely challenging both for those affected and those caring for them. Residential care is often required at an earlier point in the disease meaning that the care costs are significantly higher than for other forms of dementia. One study estimated costs were more than double that of Alzheimer’s.
Nearly 90% of people diagnosed with DLB experience significant fluctuations in their ability to pay attention, remember and think, from day to day. At its worst, ability can alter from periods of severe dementia to nearly normal brain function within the course of a single day.
Despite the upsetting nature of the symptoms, current treatments for these non-cognitive symptoms remain very limited, which is way the Alzheimer’s Society has agreed to make this a research priority. £350,000 is being provided to fund five PhD students to improve understanding of the biology of the non-cognitive symptoms and how these relate to memory loss and impaired thinking skills.
The hope is that better understanding of the exact nature of the symptoms will help to improve diagnosis of the condition and in turn, identify potential targets for future treatment.
