There is no cure for Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). Treatments are aimed at controlling the cognitive, psychiatric, and motor symptoms of the disorder.
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil and rivastigmine, are primarily used to treat the cognitive symptoms of DLB, but they may also be of some benefit in reducing the psychiatric and motor symptoms. Doctors tend to avoid prescribing antipsychotics for hallucinatory symptoms of DLB because of the risk that neuroleptic sensitivity could worsen the motor symptoms. Some individuals with DLB may benefit from the use of levodopa for their rigidity and loss of spontaneous movement.
What is the Prognosis?
Like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, DLB is a neurodegenerative disorder that results in progressive intellectual and functional deterioration. There are no known therapies to stop or slow the progression of DLB. Average survival after the time of diagnosis is similar to that in Alzheimer's disease, about 8 years, with progressively increasing disability.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) conducts research related to DLB in laboratories at the NIH and also supports additional research through grants to major medical institutions across the country. Much of this research focuses on searching for the genetic roots of DLB, exploring the molecular mechanisms of alpha-synuclein accumulation, and discovering how Lewy bodies cause the particular symptoms of DLB and the other synucleinopathies. The goal of NINDS research is to find better ways to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure disorders such as DLB.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) conducts and supports research on brain and nervous system disorders.