It is often confused with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson. The ex -presenter of Météo Catherine Laborde has been affected for more than 10 years.
Lewy’s body (MCL) is the second most frequent neurocognitive disease in the world after Alzheimer’s disease. The second world day dedicated to this disease will take place on January 28, the opportunity to make it known and to inform the general public about its heavy repercussions. It would affect 11 million people worldwide and 200,000 people in France. This disease remains poorly known for lack of training of caregivers, therefore poorly diagnosed (it is estimated that 2/3 of the patients would not be diagnosed) and poorly managed, with in particular unsuitable medical prescriptions responsible for early death and large suffering For patients and their caregivers. In France, this disease has been highlighted by the former weather presenters of TF1 Catherine Laborde who has been affected since 2014. According to her sister Françoise Laborde, interviewed on C8 in April 2024, Catherine goes “as well as possible. His illness is very complicated, his memory and his balance are lacking and the words do not always come to him. But the evolution of his illness is rather slow, which is reassuring “. Actor Robin Williams, who died today, was reached according to the autopsy produced by forensic doctors in 2014.
What is Lewy’s body disease?
Also called “Lewy Diffus Body Disease” or “Lewy’s Body Dementia”, Lewy’s body disease is a neuro-degenerative disease. “Lewy’s body is a lesion in the brain found in Lewy’s body disease, but also in Parkinson’s disease. While in the latter, these lesions affect the structures involved in motor skills, in disease In Lewy’s body, they are mainly found in the cerebral cortex and cause cognitive disorders “explains Mathieu Ceccaldi, professor in the neurology and neuropsychology department at the Timone CHU in Marseille. This disease notably causes memory problems, and as such, may resemble Alzheimer’s disease.
At what age does it manifest?
It usually begins after the age of 50. It seems to affect men a little more than women.
What are the symptoms of Lewy’s body dementia?
This disease causes cognitive, behavioral and often motor disorders which, at an advanced stage, lead to the death of the patient. Any part of the brain can be affected, often the cortex. Clinical signs are a function of the location of lesions. Among the first symptoms:
- An immediate lack of attention
- Motor skills disorders
- Visual hallucinations: around 80% of sick people experience visual hallucinations, sometimes auditory, often in the early stages of the disease. They are generally realistic and detailed.
“What particularly characterizes this disease is the fluctuation of symptoms. Patients alternate between phases where they go well and phases where they are confused.” And this, in the same day or in just a few hours. This is one of the major differences with the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
The advanced stage is characterized by a significant deterioration in physical and mental health, whose symptoms include:
- A loss of mobility and autonomy. The patient becomes completely dependent and cannot be alone.
- A loss of the ability to recognize relatives, friends and familiar objects.
- Blood pressure and digestion disorders.
- Vulnerability to medical infections and complications.
The final stage requires long-term care and constant medical attention to ensure the well-being of the patient.
What is the difference between Lewy’s body dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?
The first symptoms of Lewy’s body dementia resemble those of depression, or those of Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. Confusion with these diseases is frequent. Like Alzheimer’s, Lewy’s body dementia, for example, leads to memory disorders but there are some differences. With Lewy’s disease:
► Cognitive disorders can occur from the start when in the event of Alzheimer’s it is rather at a more advanced stage.
► Symptoms can fluctuate from one hour to another, from one day to the next when there are not these fluctuations with Alzheimer’s.
► There are a lot of sleep problems like nightmares from the start, while with Alzheimer if they occur, it is rather at the end. A person with Lewy dementia can also spend a lot of time sleeping.
Is it a hereditary disease?
The reasons for the appearance of this disease are not yet well known. But it is not a hereditary disease. “However, in the same family, people can have Parkinson’s disease and others from Lewy’s body disease. In these cases, quite rare, there may be genetic susceptibility”continues Professor Ceccaldi.
The diagnosis is difficult. It is neurologists who diagnose and then follow patients with this disease. “The diagnosis is clinical. Neuro-psychological tests can also help make the diagnosis. Then, as for Alzheimer’s disease, we will practice other examinations to rule out other problems, vascular order for example”specifies Professor Ceccaldi. In addition to classical brain imaging, like MRI, we can also, in some cases, have recourse to nuclear medicine exams.
How to treat this disease?
It is not possible to cure this disease, nor slow down its evolution. Only symptomatic treatments can be prescribed by a neurologist. “In particular, you can give patients in the Clozapine to decrease, even stop, their visual hallucinations.” Taking this molecule, however, requires regular blood tests, as it can have effects on blood cells. It is also possible to prescribe patients with Lewy body disease with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. “This symptomatic treatment, usually used in Alzheimer’s disease, subject to the absence of cardiac contraindications, can have a spectacular effect in the case of Lewy’s body disease.” Many antipsychotic drugs can cause dangerous side effects and increase the risk of confusion, fall or even death in people with MCL. You have to avoid them.
What is the evolution of Lewy’s disease?
The evolution of the disease is very variable. It causes cognitive disorders and increasingly disabled motor skills. If the evolution of this pathology is not necessarily rapid, it can however worsen suddenly. “If the disorders suddenly worsen, it is first necessary to seek a cause external to the disease (modification of the environment, pain, urinary or pulmonary infection for example …)” explains France Alzheimer.
What is life expectancy?
Life expectancy from the diagnosis can vary from 2 to 20 years. To avoid brutal and irreversible worsening of the disease, however, it is necessary to avoid at all costs to give neuroleptics to patients. “Lewy’s patient patients are more fragile and more sensitive to certain drugs, particularly neuroleptics”confirms Professor Ceccaldi.
