How is dementia with Lewy bodies treated?
As with most other forms of dementia, there is no cure for DLB. The current strategy for treatment, explains Dr. Kaufer, is to treat the three main symptoms of the disease: cognitive decline, motor disturbances, and psychosis (hallucinations). Unfortunately, psychotic symptoms can be difficult to treat, as many DLB patients are extremely sensitive to antipsychotic medications, which can cause or greatly worsen parkinsonian motor disturbances. Adding to this problem, using Parkinson’s drugs like levodopa to treat a DLB patient’s motor disturbances can worsen psychotic symptoms. Perhaps the best strategy for treatment of DLB lies in a class of drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors, which were developed to treat Alzheimer’s disease (although they, too, can worsen parkinsonian symptoms). Cholinesterase works in the brain to clear acetylcholine, which is an important chemical messenger in the brain. Levels of acetylcholine are lowered in patients with Alzheimer’s and DLB. By inhibiting cho
