Understanding LBD

People who live in New Jersey may be one of the almost 1.4 million individuals in the United States with Lewy body dementia, or LBD. This is a complex and progressive disorder of the brain in which Lewy bodies accumulate in the parts of the brain that oversee movement, behavior and cognition. Its symptoms are very similar to well-known diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, resulting in the condition being severely underdiagnosed. There are many healthcare professionals, including physicians, who have no familiarity with LBD.

People who suffer from LBD can exhibit a wide range of symptoms. They may have difficulties with remembering, thinking, moving and sleeping. They may also experience drastic changes in behavior.

LBD also impacts the autonomic functions of the body. These include temperature control, bowel function, bladder function, blood pressure control and more. LBD is a progressively debilitating disease that can also cause its sufferers to act out their dreams or have visual hallucinations. LBD sufferers are likely to experience impaired thinking. They may have difficulties with memorization, being able to comprehend visual information or executing executive functions, such as planning.

While there is ongoing research into the causes of LBD, no contributing factors have been definitely identified. However, it is believed that LBD can be attributed to multiple issues, including environmental risk factors and genetics. When added to the processes that comes with natural aging, researchers believe that they are enough to make people vulnerable to developing the disease.

People whose LBD condition was misdiagnosed may wish to discuss their legal options with a medical malpractice attorney. The attorney may consider the factors of a case and recommend engaging in litigation to obtain the financial compensation to which a client may be legally entitled. Lawsuits might be filed for worsened conditions that resulted from a misdiagnosis.