Lewy Body Dementia Treatment

Lewy body dementia is a progressive, fatal brain disorder for which there is no cure. Like Alzheimer's disease, which is a closely related disorder, treatment consists of managing the symptoms in an effort to slow the progression of the disease and improve quality of life. The symptoms of Lewy body dementia include cognitive decline, visual hallucinations, muscle rigidity and fluctuations in alertness.

Cognitive Symptoms

• Cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept are used to treat the cognitive decline of Lewy body dementia. These medications were developed for Alzheimer's patients but they have also been found to work for those who suffer from Lewy body dementia. They do not stop or reverse the disease but act to slow the progression and may improve cognitive function in the short term.

Hallucinations

• People with Lewy body dementia experience visual hallucinations. If the hallucinations are upsetting or make the patient disruptive, the doctor may prescribe medication. Sometimes taking a cholinesterase inhibitor will keep psychiatric symptoms in check. If it does not, the doctor may prescribe Seroquel, an antipsychotic medication. Doctors are cautious about prescribing antipsychotic drugs though because they tend to make muscle rigidity much worse.

  People with Lewy body dementia react differently to medications and can experience severe side effects. To complicate matters further not all people with Lewy body dementia react to the same medications in the same way. Finding effective treatment for the hallucinations may be difficult if not impossible. Patients with Lewy body dementia commonly have visual hallucinations of pets or children and as long as the hallucinations are not disturbing, the doctor may recommend letting the patient believe they are real.

Muscle Rigidity

• Levodopa is sometimes prescribed for muscle rigidity that is severe enough to affect quality of life. Levodopa is the drug given to patients with motor problems caused by Parkinson's disease. Lewy body dementia has symptoms that appear to be a combination of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. It responds well to the same drugs used to treat those diseases. If muscle rigidity is not severe, the doctor may choose to avoid giving medication to avoid interactions or side effects.

Therapy

• Therapy can also be beneficial in Lewy body dementia treatment, especially in the early stages of the disease. Physical therapy can improve gait and help keep rigid muscles flexible. Speech therapy may help manage swallowing problems and help improve enunciation. Occupational therapy can help the patient to maintain the skills needed to be independent around the home. Group therapy may be beneficial in the early stages of Lewy body dementia when the patient is trying to cope with the new diagnosis. Group therapy may also benefit care givers and family members of the patient.