My mother has dementia with lewy bodies. what is it in a nutshell?

Lewy body dementia: Is a progressive dementia involving visual hallucinations, spontaneous extrpyramidal symptoms and/or cognitive fluctuations.

Dementia: It is a form of progressive dementia, like alzheimer's dementia. The patient may have hallucinations and Parkinson's disease like symptoms as well.

Brief Nutshel Detail: Neurodegenerative d/o featuring milder physical parkinsonism than parkinson's disease typically. (slowed movements, stiff/rigid muscles & posture, possibly resting tremor). But with early dementia, often with associated psychosis (visual hallucinations, delusional thoughts), excessive sleepiness, depression/anxiety/apathy, & rbd. Rbd = rem behavior d/o, causing acting-out of dreams in rem sleep.

BUT, Rx available!!!: Dopamine meds for physical parkinsonism: Azilect (mao-b selective inhibitor) & sinemet +/- Comtan (stalevo (carbidopa and levodopa and entacapone) is both together). Tailor rx watching for side effects. Avoid Dopamine agonists (requip xl/mirapex er/neupro)--too side effect prone for lewy body patients. For dementia: namenda, paired with Exelon patch or aricept. For psychosis: seroquel or even clozaril. For excess sleepiness: nuvigil.