Lewy Body Dementia Association TV Channel on You Tube

This is the YouTube location for The Lewy Body Dementia Association.

You’ll find excerpted lectures, and information pertaining to Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) including new trends, difficulties in diagnosing and behavioral challenges associated with LBD.

Please feel free to subscribe to this channel.

Warmly…………….David

Is it still possible to view the LBD commercial that aired Aug. 12th

caryn kaminsky

Submitted on 2009/10/22 at 12:20pm

is it still possible to view the LBD commercial that aired Aug. 12th. This website said it was removed. please advise.

thank you.
Caryn

 

Hi Caryn……..I also looked at the Lewy Body Association’s website and see that it is no longer listed. I’d suggest you go here and it will permit you to ask the Association directly. If you’d like to speak with someone directly, their direct telephone number in the National Office (Atlanta, GA) is: 404.935.6444.

Hope this helps………David

LBDA Commercial to be Seen by Millions

A message from the Lewy Body Dementia Association:

 

Hut, Hut, Hike!

Join with us this month to watch a special message from the Lewy Body Dementia Association during the television broadcast of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival’s Timken Grand Parade Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio.

This special 30-second commercial on Lewy body dementia is the first of its kind to be shown nationally. The parade will be
available in more than 81 million households throughout the
month of August – click the link below for information on your local station’s airdates and times:

ProFootballHallof Fame.pdf

Thank you to the Bankert family and all who have helped make
this incredible opportunity possible, and to you for joining with us as we Increase Knowledge, Share Experience and Build Hope for all those affected by LBD in more ways than ever before!

Up from the grave he arose

Wow! What an experience I’ve just had. Thing only thing I barely remember last Sunday was that the Steelers won the Super Bowl. The last couple of days had me wondering. I do think it’s the worst I have ever been with the LBD.

I’ve underlined the worst symptoms I had in the following review of LBD which I posted last week.

Lewy Body Dementia Symptoms as explained by the Lewy Body Dementia Association

Dementia is a process whereby the person becomes progressively confused. The earliest signs are usually memory problems, changes in their way of speaking, such as forgetting words, and personality problems. Cognitive symptoms of dementia include poor problem solving, difficulty with learning new skills and impaired decision making.

Other causes of dementia should be ruled out first, such as alcoholism, overuse of medication, thyroid or metabolic problems. Strokes can also cause dementia. If these reasons are ruled out then the person is said to have a degenerative dementia. Lewy Body Dementia is second only to Alzheimer’s disease as the most common form of dementia.

Fluctuations in cognition will be noticeable to those who are close to the person with LBD, such as their partner. At times the person will be alert and then suddenly have acute episodes of confusion. These may last hours or days. Because of these fluctuations, it is not uncommon for it to be thought that the person is “faking”. This fluctuation is not related to the well-known “sundowning” of Alzheimer’s. In other words, there is no specific time of day when confusion can be seen to occur.

Hallucinations are usually, but not always, visual and often are more pronounced when the person is most confused. They are not necessarily frightening to the person. Other modalities of hallucinations include sound, taste, smell, and touch.

Parkinsonism or Parkinson’s Disease symptoms, take the form of changes in gait; the person may shuffle or walk stiffly. There may also be frequent falls. Body stiffness in the arms or legs, or tremors may also occur. Parkinson’s mask (blank stare, emotionless look on face), stooped posture, drooling and runny nose may be present.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is often noted in persons with Lewy Body Dementia. During periods of REM sleep, the person will move, gesture and/or speak. There may be more pronounced confusion between the dream and waking reality when the person awakens. RBD may actually be the earliest symptom of LBD in some patients, and is now considered a significant risk factor for developing LBD. (One recent study found that nearly two-thirds of patients diagnosed with RBD developed degenerative brain diseases, including Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple system atrophy, after an average of 11 years of receiving an RBD diagnosis. All three diseases are called synucleinopathies, due to the presence of a mis-folded protein in the brain called alpha-synuclein.)

Sensitivity to neuroleptic (anti-psychotic) drugs is another significant symptom that may occur. These medications can worsen the Parkinsonism and/or decrease the cognition and/or increase the hallucinations. Neuroleptic Malignancy Syndrome, a life-threatening illness, has been reported in persons with Lewy Body Dementia. For this reason, it is very important that the proper diagnosis is made and that healthcare providers are educated about the disease.

Other Symptoms

Visuospatial difficulties, including depth perception, object orientation, directional sense and illusions may occur.

Autonomic dysfunction, including blood pressure fluctuations (e.g. postural/orthostatic hypotension) heart rate variability (HRV), sexual disturbances/impotence, constipation, urinary problems, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), decreased sweating/heat intolerance, syncope (fainting), dry eyes/mouth, and difficulty swallowing which may lead to aspiration pneumonia.

Other psychiatric disturbances may include systematized delusions, aggression and depression. The onset of aggression in LBD may have a variety of causes, including infections (e.g., UTI), medications, misinterpretation of the environment or personal interactions, and the natural progression of the disease.

I’m coming back to myself once again–

Now to start catching up with 1009 emails. I’ll just do it little by little.

Warmly………David

Boys and Sports

First of all, I’d like to thank those of you who’ve already voted for the blog, for all those who’ve made comments and to those of you who like the new blog look. I keep experimenting with different themes………I think I’ll stick with this one. It gives me a few more options which I can use over time. Plus it just seems easier to read.

I thought I’d post a little review on the symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia.

Lewy Body Dementia Symptoms as explained by the Lewy Body Dementia Association

In this section we’ll discuss each of the symptoms, starting with the key word: dementia. Dementia is a process whereby the person becomes progressively confused. The earliest signs are usually memory problems, changes in their way of speaking, such as forgetting words, and personality problems. Cognitive symptoms of dementia include poor problem solving, difficulty with learning new skills and impaired decision making.

Other causes of dementia should be ruled out first, such as alcoholism, overuse of medication, thyroid or metabolic problems. Strokes can also cause dementia. If these reasons are ruled out then the person is said to have a degenerative dementia. Lewy Body Dementia is second only to Alzheimer’s disease as the most common form of dementia.

Fluctuations in cognition will be noticeable to those who are close to the person with LBD, such as their partner. At times the person will be alert and then suddenly have acute episodes of confusion. These may last hours or days. Because of these fluctuations, it is not uncommon for it to be thought that the person is “faking”. This fluctuation is not related to the well-known “sundowning” of Alzheimer’s. In other words, there is no specific time of day when confusion can be seen to occur.

Hallucinations are usually, but not always, visual and often are more pronounced when the person is most confused. They are not necessarily frightening to the person. Other modalities of hallucinations include sound, taste, smell, and touch.

Parkinsonism or Parkinson’s Disease symptoms, take the form of changes in gait; the person may shuffle or walk stiffly. There may also be frequent falls. Body stiffness in the arms or legs, or tremors may also occur. Parkinson’s mask (blank stare, emotionless look on face), stooped posture, drooling and runny nose may be present.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is often noted in persons with Lewy Body Dementia. During periods of REM sleep, the person will move, gesture and/or speak. There may be more pronounced confusion between the dream and waking reality when the person awakens. RBD may actually be the earliest symptom of LBD in some patients, and is now considered a significant risk factor for developing LBD. (One recent study found that nearly two-thirds of patients diagnosed with RBD developed degenerative brain diseases, including Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple system atrophy, after an average of 11 years of receiving an RBD diagnosis. All three diseases are called synucleinopathies, due to the presence of a mis-folded protein in the brain called alpha-synuclein.)

Sensitivity to neuroleptic (anti-psychotic) drugs is another significant symptom that may occur. These medications can worsen the Parkinsonism and/or decrease the cognition and/or increase the hallucinations. Neuroleptic Malignancy Syndrome, a life-threatening illness, has been reported in persons with Lewy Body Dementia. For this reason, it is very important that the proper diagnosis is made and that healthcare providers are educated about the disease.

Other Symptoms

Visuospatial difficulties, including depth perception, object orientation, directional sense and illusions may occur.

Autonomic dysfunction, including blood pressure fluctuations (e.g. postural/orthostatic hypotension) heart rate variability (HRV), sexual disturbances/impotence, constipation, urinary problems, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), decreased sweating/heat intolerance, syncope (fainting), dry eyes/mouth, and difficulty swallowing which may lead to aspiration pneumonia.

Other psychiatric disturbances may include systematized delusions, aggression and depression. The onset of aggression in LBD may have a variety of causes, including infections (e.g., UTI), medications, misinterpretation of the environment or personal interactions, and the natural progression of the disease.

All right now. Enough of some serious material. Now it’s time to play. These are the kind of puzzles which make me feel really smart. The more I do, the smarter I feel. I hope they help you just as much.

Boys and Sports
by Shelly Hazard

Wilma and three other women were comparing notes about the achievements of their sons. Each son had a favorite sport and each was a star player. The boys ranged in age from 10 years old to 13 years old. Determine the full name of each mother, the name of her son, the sport each son played, and how old each son was.

1. Sara Copper’s son, who wasn’t Brian, didn’t play soccer.

2. The boy who played basketball was the youngest. Mrs. Green’s son was a year younger than the boy who played baseball but a year older than Sara’s son.

3. The oldest boy, who wasn’t Mark, was Sharon’s son but he didn’t play hockey.

4. The boy who played baseball was a year older than the boy who played hockey.

5. From youngest to oldest, the boys were Mark, Teresa’s son, Mrs. Silver’s son, and Eric.

6. Mrs. Wild’s son was two years older than Chris.

Click here for the Solution

Warmly………David

Chickens Lay Eggs in Bright Light

There are 12+ inches of snow in the front yard with 2-4 more coming! Erie’s Mayor declared an emergency for the city. Can you tell I have very fond memories of deep snow and powerful snow storms from childhood?

Last night I continued to feel sleep deprived which didn’t help the brain synapses. My step-father’s sister lived on a farm. I thought my Aunt Lu told me that the chickens would lay eggs better with more light since it’s so dark in the winter, so I turned on all the lights in the house. Pam had stepped out for a few minutes. Pam returned shortly and reminded me that Aunt Lu had died when I was in high school. I had some trouble finding where the kitchen was too. Today is better after some good sleep! Thank the Lord………one day at a time.

Amy and Gerald Throop were gracious enough to send me a complementary copy of their book, “Living with Lewy’s.” I’ll be posting a review of it on the blog. I still need to post the reviews for two other books. Just need to get around to it.

Living With Lewy’s

Empowering Today’s Dementia Caregiver

A Revolutionary New Survival Guide For All Caregivers
Especially for Caregivers of Patients with Dementia With Lewy Bodies, Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias

Foreword by

Dr. Carol F. Lippa, M.D., Professor of Neurology,

Drexel University College of Medicine,

Chair, Medical advisory Committee of the

Lewy Body Dementia Association

Written By Family Caregivers, For Family Caregivers
by

Amy J. Throop and Gerald S. Throop

If You’re One Of America’s 52 Million Caregivers, This Book Is For You!
Living With Lewy’s Answers A Thousand Questions For Caregivers. This book is easy to understand and organized so you can find answers quickly, day or night. It’s the companion book that you will refer to time and time again. This Is A Must Have Book For All Caregivers!

This book contains vital information about Dementia With Lewy Bodies, Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

ALL Caregivers Will Benefit From Information About:

*Support systems *Your personal health *Simple-safe care methods *Sleep improvement for caregiver and patient *Stress relieving techniques *Safe bath time *Continence management *Reducing falls *Diet, exercise and more

America’s 9 million dementia caregivers will discover:

•Life saving information about medications. •Up to date information from leading dementia specialists. •How to better understand each specific type of dementia. •How to seek professional help or a second diagnosis. •Care methods to cope with specific disabilities. •How to manage dangerous behaviors and much more.

Complete Financial Information About:

*Low or no cost respite *Tax breaks for caregivers
*Medicare Parts A, B and D – Prescription Drug Coverage
*Social Security Disability Insurance *Sick leave *Asset protection *Early retirement and much, much more.

Here is Hope’s response to the great folks who commented to her.

Warmly……….David Thomas

Sweet “16″ Rolls Around Again!

And they say Sweet 16 never comes around again! Well, someone is wrong. Today marks the beginning of a wonderful Happy New Year for me!

Just returned from Pittsburgh after seeing my neurologist for a regular checkup. He said, “You’re doing very well. It goes to show just how well the Aricept and Namenda works for people.” He was very pleased. And, surprise, surprise. I get to drive again but only with an “autopilot” on board. That’s fine with me. Just to feel 16, independent and to be able to get behind that wheel again. How do I describe it??!!

Other than sleeping difficulties, he sees a marked improvement since adding the Namenda to Aricept. I’ll continue the Klonopin for the REM sleep behavior disorder. For sleep he’s adding a small dose of trazodone. Thank gosh I don’t have to take Seroquel at this point. Will start the trazodone at 50-mg at bedtime and can increase it to 150-mg if necessary.

I’m not surprised with the trazodone. It’s a standard non-habit  agent for sleep. It is actually an antidepressant but the doses need to achieve an antidepressant effect are so high that the patient would be sleepy all the time. So, in essence, it is pretty much used now as an adjunct sleeper when trying to avoid drugs which produce tolerance. I feel comfortable with this since it’s something which I’ve prescribed over the years to hundreds of patients.

Oh, by the way. He truly thinks the Lewy Body Dementia Association is phenomenal!

Fact or Fiction?

In the 1960s, dung beetles were imported into Australia to reduce the number of cow dung pads.

Warmly………….David Thomas

(True. Their digging activity aerates the soil, sumultaneously releasing the nutrients in the dung to the soil).

Spanish Version – An Introduction to Lewy Body Dementia

The Lewy Body Dementia Association has introduced a Spanish Version of Introducción a la Demencia por Cuerpos de Lewy.

Esta es una publicación especial para las personas a quienes recientemente se les ha diagnosticado la demencia por cuerpos de Lewy (DCL) y para quienes todavía están buscando respuestas.

A PDF copy can also be downloaded for home printing.

Powerful and Inexpensive Christmas Presents

Angela Taylor

I am becoming more impressed each time I visit the Tangled Neuron blog. The amount of work involved to make this very informative and accurate blog is astounding. The blog mentions Angela Taylor whom I’ve had the great pleasure of speaking with. She is the chair of the of the Science Committee for the Lewy Body Dementia Association. She is warm, sensitive, caring and has made LBD a platform in her life. Thank you, Angela. You efforts will not go unrewarded!

 

The Best Christmas Presents

This time of a poor economy, many people are spending less money on others at this Christmas season, particularly those who live on a limited budget. This tends to breed feelings of helplessness and guilt.

It is also a time when the weight of grief seems heavy. This may be the first Christmas without a loved one or friend. It may be the first Christmas where a loved one is still with you but you have ‘lost’ them to dementia.

We all need comforting when grief overcomes us. We tend to have fond and sweet memories of those who took time, always in short supply during the holidays, to bear some of our burden. Is someone you know experiencing a difficult first this Christmas?

You can offer comfort and encouragement by reaching out with loving and sweet remembrances. Not only for a close friend or family member, but reaching out to neighbors, church members, coworkers and even casual acquaintances that are facing a difficult time of transition is important. The simplest gestures you make during the emotional holidays will be sweet to them.

 

1. First, one of the best ways to minister to those around you is through prayer. It doesn’t cost you any money. It is powerful. Put the person’s name or picture on the refrigerator and pray during the holidays.
2. Not only can you pray for your friends, but perhaps you could drop them a note or e-mail to let them know you are doing so! Also, use your note to give a word of encouragement. God entered the world that first Christmas to carry a burden we could not carry ourselves. What a wonderful season to do the same for others.
3. Don’t be afraid to mention the person they have lost. Nothing is worse than thinking everyone has forgotten the one you loved.
4. Mention specific memories you have of that person.
5. Light a candle or place flowers at the front of the church in their loved ones memory.
6. Be available and a good listener. Consider an invitation to lunch or coffee. So many people avoid the subject of grief that you may find your friend is longing to talk with someone about what they are going through. “How are you really doing?” and “This must be a difficult time for you” are good open ended questions which permit them to openly talk.
7. Send a note to children who have lost their grandparents. A good time would be when they accomplish something their grandparent would have enjoyed seeing. Remind them how proud their grandparent was of them.
8. Encourage other friends to mail notes throughout the Christmas season.

 

Warmly……….David

What is Lewy Body Dementia?

The following is extracted from the Lewy Body Dementia Association website:

Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a progressive brain disease and the second leading cause of degenerative dementia in the elderly. The clinical name, “dementia with Lewy bodies” (DLB), accounts for up to 20% of all dementia cases, or 800,000 patients in the US. Over 50% of Parkinson’s disease patients develop “Parkinson’s disease dementia” (PDD), which accounts for at least 750,000 patients. (PDD is also a Lewy body dementia.)

Other names for the Lewy body dementias are:

• Lewy body disease (LBD)
• Diffuse lewy body disease (DLBD)
• Cortical Lewy body disease (CLBD)
• Lewy body Variant of Alzheimer’s (LBV)(LBVA)
• Parkinson’s disease with dementia (PDD)

In the early 1900’s, while researching Parkinson’s disease, the scientist Friederich H. Lewy discovered abnormal protein deposits that disrupt the brain’s normal functioning. These Lewy body proteins are found in an area of the brain stem where they deplete the neurotransmitter dopamine, causing Parkinsonian symptoms. In Lewy body dementia, these abnormal proteins are diffuse throughout other areas of the brain, including the cerebral cortex. The brain chemical acetylcholine is depleted, causing disruption of perception, thinking, and behavior. Lewy body dementia exists either in pure form, or in conjunction with other brain changes, including those typically seen in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. 

Horn of Plenty

–Mark L. Madden

When a music student brought his French horn to my shop for repair, he complained that the instrument “felt stuffy” and he couldn’t blow air through it. It’s not unusual to find partial blockages in brass instruments if small items get lodged in the tubing, but when I tested the instrument, the horn was completely blocked. After much probing and prodding, a small tangerine dropped out of the bell. “Oh,” said the musician when I handed him the fruit. Seeing the bewildered look on my face, he explained, “My mom used the horn for a cornucopia in a Thanksgiving centerpiece.”

 

David