Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsKey DifferencesWhat Is the Prevalence of Lewy Body Dementia?CausesRisk FactorsWhat Are Symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia?Treatment for Lewy Body DiseasePrognosis for LBD
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Key Differences
What Is the Prevalence of Lewy Body Dementia?
Causes
Risk Factors
What Are Symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia?
Treatment for Lewy Body Disease
Prognosis for LBD
Lewy body dementia(LBD) andAlzheimer’s diseaseare two types ofdementia. There are several similarities but also some clear differences between the two progressive neurological (nervous system-related) disorders.
Both diseases affect older adults though LBD occurs less often and may begin at younger ages.Memory loss is an early feature in Alzheimer’s but a later one in LBD, which is known for earlier changes in sleep, perception, mood, and mobility. There is no cure for either condition.
This article takes a look at how Lewy body dementia differs from Alzheimer’s disease. It also compares the causes, symptoms, andprognosis(expected outcome) for each of the conditions and outlines the different risk factors and treatments.
Lewy Body Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s Disease
Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are similar but not the same. Thefeatures of dementiadiffer for each disorder:
LBD and Alzheimer’s disease can appear similar in the early stages, and it is not uncommon for someone with LBD to be mistakenly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at first.
The underlying causes of Alzheimer’s and LBD can and often do overlap. As a result, a person with LBD might experience Alzheimer-type changes in their brain, resulting in shared characteristics and symptoms referred to as mixed dementia.
The main differences between LBD and Alzheimer’s can be summarized in as follows:
Lewy body dementia is the second most common type of dementia, with an estimated 1.4 million people living with LBD in the United States. It is thought to be slightly more common in males than females. Because LBD is thought to be underdiagnosed, the actual number of people with the disease may be higher.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. As many as 5.8 million people in the United States are living with this progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Females are more affected than males but tend to live longer. Around 5% of adults ages 60 to 74 have Alzheimer’s, increasing to 14% in those 75 to 84.
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Causes of Lewy Body Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s
Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia
LBD and Alzheimer’s share many of the same risk factors but have some of their own as well. While less is known about LBD, there are known risk factors for this type of dementia.
Lewy Body DementiaOlder age (slightly younger than Alzheimer’s)Male sex (slightly more than females)Family history of LBD or Parkinson’s diseaseGenetics (includingSNCAgene mutations)History of anxiety or depressionAlzheimer DiseaseOlder age (slightly older than LBD)Female sex (slightly more than males)Family history of Alzheimer’s diseaseGenetics (including theAPOEgene mutation)Traumatic brain injuryBeing Black or Latinx
Lewy Body DementiaOlder age (slightly younger than Alzheimer’s)Male sex (slightly more than females)Family history of LBD or Parkinson’s diseaseGenetics (includingSNCAgene mutations)History of anxiety or depression
Older age (slightly younger than Alzheimer’s)
Male sex (slightly more than females)
Family history of LBD or Parkinson’s disease
Genetics (includingSNCAgene mutations)
History of anxiety or depression
Alzheimer DiseaseOlder age (slightly older than LBD)Female sex (slightly more than males)Family history of Alzheimer’s diseaseGenetics (including theAPOEgene mutation)Traumatic brain injuryBeing Black or Latinx
Older age (slightly older than LBD)
Female sex (slightly more than males)
Family history of Alzheimer’s disease
Genetics (including theAPOEgene mutation)
Traumatic brain injury
Being Black or Latinx
Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have both similarities and differences in their symptoms. Here is how the two compare:
Loss of Cognition and Memory
Cognition is the mental process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. With both LBD and Alzheimer’s, cognition is affected but in significantly different ways.
With LBD, the loss of cognition and memory can fluctuate. On one day, a person diagnosed with LBD will not recognize a grandchild but, on the next, be able to recall the names of each of their grandchildren.
With Alzheimer’s, there may be variations, but the decline is generally steady, and there is not usually a big change from one day to the next. The memory impacts progress over time.
One of the early symptoms of LBD is difficulty walking and decreased balance and ability to control movements. These symptoms are similar to Parkinson’s disease.Frequent fallingis also common early in the disease.
With Alzheimer’s,physical deteriorationusually does not occur until the disease is advanced. With that said, because Alzheimer’s typically affects older people, falling can occur due to frailty and the loss of orientation.
Some people with LBD display a flat affect, wherein their faces show very little emotion. This is another symptom present early in LBD and overlaps with Parkinson’s. While facial expressions often decrease with Alzheimer’s, this usually doesn’t until thelater stages.
Are LBD and Parkinson’s the Same?Some researchers contend that Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia are part of a larger spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders known as Lewy body disease (LBD).
Are LBD and Parkinson’s the Same?
Some researchers contend that Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia are part of a larger spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders known as Lewy body disease (LBD).
How Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia Differ
Sleep Disturbances and Visual Hallucinations
People with LBD sometimes experience a condition known asREM sleep behavior disorderin which they will physically act out situations in their dreams. Some research suggests that REM sleep behavior disorder is an earlier predictor of LBD.
Another common LBD symptom is visualhallucinations, wherein people will see things that aren’t there. These hallucinations typically occur earlier in the course of LBD.
Hallucinations do occur with Alzheimer’s but are not as common. They also tend to occur in the later stages of the disease.
Similarly, REM sleep behavior disorder is not characteristic of Alzheimer’s, although other types ofsleep disturbancescan occur.
Sensitivity to Antipsychotics
People with LBD have a high risk of serious side effects fromantipsychotic medications. These are sometimes used as a last resort for people with behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
Doing so with LBD, though less so Alzheimer’s, can lead to a potentially life-threatening condition calledneuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).Symptoms of NMS include:
Symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia You May Miss
Where LBD and Alzheimer’s vary significantly is in the ways they are treated. While some drugs, like cholinesterase inhibitors, can be used for both disorders, there are others that have proven to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s only.
Lewy Body Dementia
There is no cure for LBD. Some symptoms can be managed with a treatment plan that may include medications, physical therapy, and counseling. The plan may also involve improving home safety and the everyday quality of life.
A combination of drugs calledcarbidopa-levodopamay be prescribed to improve LBD-related mobility problems, although they will not reverse symptoms.
Klonopin (clonazepam)may be prescribed to reduce symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder, whilemelatonincan be taken to reduce insomnia.Cholinesterase inhibitorsare a class of drugs that may help treat some of the cognitive and behavioral symptoms of LBD and Alzheimer’s, including impaired memory and awareness. Options include Razadyne (galantamine), Exelon (rivastigmine), and Aricept (donepezil).
Alzheimer’s Disease
In June 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Aduhelm for treating Alzheimer’s disease. It was the first drug approved for this disease since 2003 and targets amyloid-beta. However, studies showed little or no benefit in slowing cognitive decline.
People with Alzheimer’s can also benefit from physical therapy to help them stay mobile and improve their ability to perform daily tasks for as long as possible.
By and large, the prognosis of LBD is less favorable than Alzheimer’s.
According to a 2019 study inPLoS One, the median life expectancy of people with LBD is between three and five years after the appearance of symptoms. This is far less than expected in people with Alzheimer’s, although outcomes can vary. Death is often the result ofrespiratory failuredue to damage to the part of the brain that regulates breathing.
By contrast, people with Alzheimer’s survive for between four and 10 years after they are diagnosed. Improved Alzheimer’s treatments account for part of the disparity, but it is likely that LBD is simply a more aggressive disorder. The main cause of death from Alzheimer’s is secondary infections likepneumonia.
Lewy body dementia progresses faster and comes with a shorter life expectancy compared to Alzheimer’s disease. Studies also show that Lewy body dementia leads to a lower quality of life compared to Alzheimer’s, which includes a lower level of independence as well as other physical, mental, and social factors.
Prognosis of 13 Types of Dementia
Summary
Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are the two most common forms of dementia that differ in a number of key ways. Both are linked to the abnormal buildup of proteins in the brains, but those involved with Lewy body dementia (LBD) are Lewy bodies and those involved with Alzheimer’s are amyloids.
LBD also tends to progress faster and affects many different mental and physical domains, including thought, behavior, alertness, awareness, sleep, moods, and movement. Alzheimer’s progresses somewhat slower and mainly affects memory, behavior, awareness, and language.
Because the causes and risk factors differ, the treatment of LBD and Alzheimer’s also varies. Even so, LBD is frequently mistaken for Alzheimer’s and, as such may be treated inappropriately. Knowing the differences can help you to better understand the diseases and speak with healthcare providers about them.
8 Tips on Coping With Lewy Body Dementia
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kane JPM, Surendranathan A, Bentley A, et al.Clinical prevalence of Lewy body dementia.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2018;10(1):19. doi:10.1186/s13195-018-0350-6.National Institute on Aging.What is Lewy body dementia? Causes, symptoms, and treatments.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.National Institutes of Health.Genetic study of Lewy body dementia supports ties to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.Peraza L, Cromarty R, Kobeleva X.Electroencephalographic derived network differences in Lewy body dementia compared to Alzheimer’s disease patients.Nature. 2018;8(1):4637. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22984-5Hershey LA, Coleman-Jackson R.Pharmacological Management of Dementia with Lewy Bodies.Drugs Aging. 2019 Apr;36(4):309-319. doi:10.1007/s40266-018-00636-7.Ulep M, Saraon S, McLea S.Alzheimer disease.J Nurse Practioner. 2018;14(3):129-35. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2017.10.014Jellinger KA, Korczyn AD.Are dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia the same disease?BMC Med. 2018;16:34. doi:10.1186/s12916-018-1016-8Fernández-Arcos A, Morenas-Rodríguez E, Santamaria J, et al.Clinical and video-polysomnographic analysis of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and other sleep disturbances in dementia with Lewy bodies.Sleep. 2019;42(7). doi:10.1093/sleep/zsz086Lee CY, Cheng SJ, Lin HC, Liao YL, Chen PH.Quality of life in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies.Behav Neurol. 2018 Jul;2018(1):1-7. doi:10.1155/2018/8320901Sinclair LI, Kumar A, Darreh-Shori T, Love S.Visual hallucinations in Alzheimer’s disease do not seem to be associated with chronic hypoperfusion of to visual processing areas V2 and V3 but may be associated with reduced cholinergic input to these areas.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2019;11(1):80. doi:10.1186/s13195-019-0519-7Lewy Body Dementia Association.Treatment.National Institute on Aging.How is Alzheimer’s disease treated?Armstrong MJ, Alliance S, Taylor A, Corsentino, Galvin JE.End-of-life experiences in dementia with Lewy bodies: qualitative interviews with former caregivers.PLoS One. 2019;14(5):e0217039. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217039Tom SE, Hubbard RA, Crane PK, et al.Characterization of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in an older population: updated incidence and life expectancy with and without dementia.Am J Public Health.2015 February;105(2):408–13. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.301935
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kane JPM, Surendranathan A, Bentley A, et al.Clinical prevalence of Lewy body dementia.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2018;10(1):19. doi:10.1186/s13195-018-0350-6.National Institute on Aging.What is Lewy body dementia? Causes, symptoms, and treatments.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.National Institutes of Health.Genetic study of Lewy body dementia supports ties to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.Peraza L, Cromarty R, Kobeleva X.Electroencephalographic derived network differences in Lewy body dementia compared to Alzheimer’s disease patients.Nature. 2018;8(1):4637. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22984-5Hershey LA, Coleman-Jackson R.Pharmacological Management of Dementia with Lewy Bodies.Drugs Aging. 2019 Apr;36(4):309-319. doi:10.1007/s40266-018-00636-7.Ulep M, Saraon S, McLea S.Alzheimer disease.J Nurse Practioner. 2018;14(3):129-35. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2017.10.014Jellinger KA, Korczyn AD.Are dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia the same disease?BMC Med. 2018;16:34. doi:10.1186/s12916-018-1016-8Fernández-Arcos A, Morenas-Rodríguez E, Santamaria J, et al.Clinical and video-polysomnographic analysis of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and other sleep disturbances in dementia with Lewy bodies.Sleep. 2019;42(7). doi:10.1093/sleep/zsz086Lee CY, Cheng SJ, Lin HC, Liao YL, Chen PH.Quality of life in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies.Behav Neurol. 2018 Jul;2018(1):1-7. doi:10.1155/2018/8320901Sinclair LI, Kumar A, Darreh-Shori T, Love S.Visual hallucinations in Alzheimer’s disease do not seem to be associated with chronic hypoperfusion of to visual processing areas V2 and V3 but may be associated with reduced cholinergic input to these areas.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2019;11(1):80. doi:10.1186/s13195-019-0519-7Lewy Body Dementia Association.Treatment.National Institute on Aging.How is Alzheimer’s disease treated?Armstrong MJ, Alliance S, Taylor A, Corsentino, Galvin JE.End-of-life experiences in dementia with Lewy bodies: qualitative interviews with former caregivers.PLoS One. 2019;14(5):e0217039. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217039Tom SE, Hubbard RA, Crane PK, et al.Characterization of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in an older population: updated incidence and life expectancy with and without dementia.Am J Public Health.2015 February;105(2):408–13. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.301935
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kane JPM, Surendranathan A, Bentley A, et al.Clinical prevalence of Lewy body dementia.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2018;10(1):19. doi:10.1186/s13195-018-0350-6.National Institute on Aging.What is Lewy body dementia? Causes, symptoms, and treatments.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.National Institutes of Health.Genetic study of Lewy body dementia supports ties to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.Peraza L, Cromarty R, Kobeleva X.Electroencephalographic derived network differences in Lewy body dementia compared to Alzheimer’s disease patients.Nature. 2018;8(1):4637. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22984-5Hershey LA, Coleman-Jackson R.Pharmacological Management of Dementia with Lewy Bodies.Drugs Aging. 2019 Apr;36(4):309-319. doi:10.1007/s40266-018-00636-7.Ulep M, Saraon S, McLea S.Alzheimer disease.J Nurse Practioner. 2018;14(3):129-35. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2017.10.014Jellinger KA, Korczyn AD.Are dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia the same disease?BMC Med. 2018;16:34. doi:10.1186/s12916-018-1016-8Fernández-Arcos A, Morenas-Rodríguez E, Santamaria J, et al.Clinical and video-polysomnographic analysis of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and other sleep disturbances in dementia with Lewy bodies.Sleep. 2019;42(7). doi:10.1093/sleep/zsz086Lee CY, Cheng SJ, Lin HC, Liao YL, Chen PH.Quality of life in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies.Behav Neurol. 2018 Jul;2018(1):1-7. doi:10.1155/2018/8320901Sinclair LI, Kumar A, Darreh-Shori T, Love S.Visual hallucinations in Alzheimer’s disease do not seem to be associated with chronic hypoperfusion of to visual processing areas V2 and V3 but may be associated with reduced cholinergic input to these areas.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2019;11(1):80. doi:10.1186/s13195-019-0519-7Lewy Body Dementia Association.Treatment.National Institute on Aging.How is Alzheimer’s disease treated?Armstrong MJ, Alliance S, Taylor A, Corsentino, Galvin JE.End-of-life experiences in dementia with Lewy bodies: qualitative interviews with former caregivers.PLoS One. 2019;14(5):e0217039. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217039Tom SE, Hubbard RA, Crane PK, et al.Characterization of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in an older population: updated incidence and life expectancy with and without dementia.Am J Public Health.2015 February;105(2):408–13. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.301935
Kane JPM, Surendranathan A, Bentley A, et al.Clinical prevalence of Lewy body dementia.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2018;10(1):19. doi:10.1186/s13195-018-0350-6.
National Institute on Aging.What is Lewy body dementia? Causes, symptoms, and treatments.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
National Institutes of Health.Genetic study of Lewy body dementia supports ties to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Peraza L, Cromarty R, Kobeleva X.Electroencephalographic derived network differences in Lewy body dementia compared to Alzheimer’s disease patients.Nature. 2018;8(1):4637. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22984-5
Hershey LA, Coleman-Jackson R.Pharmacological Management of Dementia with Lewy Bodies.Drugs Aging. 2019 Apr;36(4):309-319. doi:10.1007/s40266-018-00636-7.
Ulep M, Saraon S, McLea S.Alzheimer disease.J Nurse Practioner. 2018;14(3):129-35. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2017.10.014
Jellinger KA, Korczyn AD.Are dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia the same disease?BMC Med. 2018;16:34. doi:10.1186/s12916-018-1016-8
Fernández-Arcos A, Morenas-Rodríguez E, Santamaria J, et al.Clinical and video-polysomnographic analysis of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and other sleep disturbances in dementia with Lewy bodies.Sleep. 2019;42(7). doi:10.1093/sleep/zsz086
Lee CY, Cheng SJ, Lin HC, Liao YL, Chen PH.Quality of life in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies.Behav Neurol. 2018 Jul;2018(1):1-7. doi:10.1155/2018/8320901
Sinclair LI, Kumar A, Darreh-Shori T, Love S.Visual hallucinations in Alzheimer’s disease do not seem to be associated with chronic hypoperfusion of to visual processing areas V2 and V3 but may be associated with reduced cholinergic input to these areas.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2019;11(1):80. doi:10.1186/s13195-019-0519-7
Lewy Body Dementia Association.Treatment.
National Institute on Aging.How is Alzheimer’s disease treated?
Armstrong MJ, Alliance S, Taylor A, Corsentino, Galvin JE.End-of-life experiences in dementia with Lewy bodies: qualitative interviews with former caregivers.PLoS One. 2019;14(5):e0217039. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217039
Tom SE, Hubbard RA, Crane PK, et al.Characterization of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in an older population: updated incidence and life expectancy with and without dementia.Am J Public Health.2015 February;105(2):408–13. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.301935
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