Brain Volume May Help Predict Who Will Develop Dementia With Lewy Bodies

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A lack of shrinkage in the area of the brain responsible for memory may be a sign that people with thinking and memory problems may go on to develop dementia with Lewy bodies rather than Alzheimer’s disease. Shrinkage in this hippocampus area of the brain is an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia with Lewy bodies is a common form of dementia. Because it has many symptoms in common with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, it can be difficult to diagnose. It can include movement problems, sleep disorders and hallucinations. “Being able to identify people who are at risk for dementia with Lewy bodies is important so they can receive the correct treatments early on,” said study author Kejal Kantarci, MD, MS, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., as a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “Early diagnosis also helps doctors know what drugs to avoid – up to 50 percent of people with dementia with Lewy bodies have sever reactions to antipsychotic drugs.” Click here to read more.

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