By any measure, dementia is a serious health problem. Its prevalence is greater than most diseases that preoccupy health providers — and its rate of growth, fuelled by the phenomenon of aging boomers, is far out of step with our current capacity to cope.
Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) is a form of dementia that shares characteristics with both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Symptoms resemble other diseases but DLB is especially challenging to diagnose correctly.
We know there are distinct features of Dementia with Lewy Bodies; a unique pathology, unique therapeutic treatments and that DLB forms an important neurodegenerative sub-set apart from Alzheimer’s disease. However, much more work needs to be done.
In addition to gaining a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying Dementia with Lewy Bodies, further research will also greatly benefit our understanding of other neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
The more we know about the differences and similarities within this family of neurodegenerative diseases, the greater the understanding we will have about the basic mechanisms underlying all neurodegenerative disease.
