Lewy Body Dementia (LBD)

Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) is a form of progressive dementia that affects a person’s ability to think, reason, and process information. Lewy bodies are clumps of abnormal protein particles that, for reasons that are not fully understood, accumulate in the brain. These deposits cause a form of dementia called Lewy body dementia, or LBD — which is what the late actor and comedian Robin Williams suffered from. More than 1 million people in the U.S. are affected by Lewy body dementia, according to the Lewy Body Dementia Association.

The cause of LBD is unknown. Brain pathological changes in LBD involve selective damage and loss of nerve cells in certain regions of the brain. Affected, but less damaged cells contain Lewy bodies, which are a microscopic aggregation of a specific protein. The Lewy body is the pathological signature of LBD that overwhelms the cell’s normal biological functions and causes it to die.

There are many possible causes of LBD but researchers are just beginning to understand the reasons why some people are more susceptible to developing LBD. Sadly, our loss is shared by many other families touched by this cruel disease. Even though it is the second most common form of dementia, Lewy Bodies Dementia is not well understood and getting a diagnosis can be difficult as it was for our family. It’s the core reason to my heart in why I've started this foundation. 

Those living with Lewy body dementia, care partners, and others can connect to the licensed professionals with LBDA Support Services through the LBDA Lewy Line or email. 

To learn more and to discover resources, please visit www.lbda.org