The Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) announced today the launch of new resources for physicians and their patients. LBDA created two new LBD symptom checklists; an abbreviated checklist to assist in the reporting of LBD diagnostic symptoms and a more comprehensive checklist to help people already diagnosed with LBD or their caregivers to report new or concerning LBD symptoms as the disease progresses. The checklists are now available for unlimited free download by healthcare professionals and the general public.
Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a relentlessly progressive brain disease that affects thinking, movement, behavior or mood and sleep. Although LBD is lesser known than Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, LBD is not a rare disorder, and affects an estimated 1.3 million Americans.
Diagnosing LBD can be challenging, even for specialists. Early LBD symptoms may resemble similar symptoms in brain diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. And LBD symptoms vary in time of onset, combination and severity, making no two cases exactly alike. Early diagnosis and a comprehensive treatment approach can maximize the quality of life for the person with LBD and their caregiver. Getting an early diagnosis of LBD is also very important, as people with LBD react differently to certain medications, sometimes severely so, than people with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
Cardiovascular disease risk linked to early brain decline in men