Signs Of Lewy Body Dementia

Depression And Apathy

The chemicals in the brain also control emotions and manage depression and apathy. The hippocampus, which produces cortisol and stores memories, is in the center of the brain. During times of physical and mental stress, the body releases cortisol, but in depression, too much is produced.

Signs of depression include loss of interest in performing activities the individual once enjoyed and overwhelming feelings of sadness and hopelessness. Individuals experience changes in appetite that cause their weight to fluctuate. They may not be able to sleep and always feel tired, their ability to make decisions and concentration becomes unstable, and they may have suicidal thoughts. Some think about death and have attempted suicide.

Many patients with Lewy body disease suffer from depression because the protein deposits grow inside nerve cells and the spinal cord. These areas control the release of neurotransmitters responsible for releasing the chemicals that monitor your mood.

Problems Regulating Body Functions

The medulla is the part of the brain responsible for regulating body functions. It is cone-shaped and holds the nerve cell mass that manages the body’s involuntary functions, including heart rate, breathing, blood vessel dilation, and digestion. The medulla also controls sneezing, swallowing, vomiting, as well as respiration and circulation. The sensory and motor neurons transmit signals from the forebrain and midbrain to the medulla. The medulla receives blood from the anterior spinal artery, posterior inferior cerebellar artery, and the vertebral artery’s direct branches.

When someone has Lewy body dementia, these tissues are affected by the abnormal protein growth of infected cells, causing sensory problems and can be attributed to issues regulating body functions. Patients can lose the ability to control bladder function and become disturbed by the frequent need to urinate.

Since the medulla manages the heart, patients tend to suffer from irregular heartbeats, dizziness, drowsiness, and unconsciousness. The ability to regulate body temperature is loss and contributes to excessive shivering and perspiring.