Understanding Lewy Body
Lewy body Dementia is a form of progressive dementia identified by abnormal structures in brain cells called "Lewy bodies."* These are distributed in various areas of the brain. A major component of Lewy bodies is a protein called alpha synuclein. The mechanism that leads to the formation of Lewy bodies is unknown. Unlike Alzheimer Disease where the neurons die, in Lewy body Dementia, only 10-15 per cent of neurons disappear, while the remaining neurons do not function.
Lewy body Dementia can occur by itself, or together with Alzheimer or Parkinson's Disease. It is the second most common cause of dementia in the elderly, accounting for 15-20 per cent of all dementias.
Other names for Lewy body Dementia include: Diffuse Lewy body Disease, Cortical Lewy body Disease, Lewy body Disease, Senile Dementia of Lewy Type, Dementia with Lewy bodies and Lewy body variant of Alzheimer Disease.
* (The disease was discovered in 1912 by Dr. Levi, which became "Lewy" in the translation from German.)