U.S. researchers recently reported that the specific changes in alertness and cognition are reliable indicators for distinguishing Alzheimer’s disease from dementia and normal aging.
“Lewy bodies” – round collections of proteins in the brain – are the hallmark of Parkinson’s disease.
In dementia with Lewy bodies, Lewy bodies are also found in the brain’s cortex.
Though dementia with Lewy bodies accounts for as much as 20 to 35 percent of dementia in the United States, treatment and diagnosis is complicated by lack of information about the disease.
In the study, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., examined cognition fluctuation experienced by individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and normal older adults with no signs of dementia.
“Fluctuating cognition is an important symptom of DLB but has been the center of some controversy because it is comprised of a number of behaviors, some common to all dementias and perhaps even found in normal aging,” the study’s authors said.
“It’s very important to diagnose correctly because proper treatment can help us manage symptoms and help caregivers cope.”
– United Press International.