Causes And Risk Factors For Lewy Body Dementia

Association With Alzheimer's Disease

Lewy body dementia also has an association with Alzheimer's disease for the same reason it has an association with Parkinson's. Lewy bodies are also found in patients with Alzheimer's. Again, it is important to note the presence of Lewy bodies in the brain does not guarantee an individual will develop Lewy body disease. However, researchers have theorized the symptom overlap, and other brain abnormalities apparent in all three diseases can be attributed to how the brain processes (or its inability to process) the protein alpha-synuclein. Brain scans have shown individuals with Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's all have plaques and tangles within their brains.

Continue reading to learn about the link with age.