Dementia with Lewy Body and Parkinson's Disease Patients: Patient, Family, and Clinician Working Together for Better Outcomes

Dementia implies impaired thinking and memory. It develops in the majority of people with Parkinson's disease if they live long enough. A closely related condition is Dementia with Lewy Bodies, which is the second leading cause of dementia (behind Alzheimer' disease). These are all too common disorders, yet little is written for the lay public about such dementia. This book is designed to fill that void, and especially to provide guidelines for treatment. A cure does not yet exist, but optimal medical treatment can markedly improve quality of life, for both patients and family. Treating these conditions can become complicated, given the variety of available drugs, plus the unintended side effects of some medications. Busy clinicians are increasingly challenged by time constraints, which is another complicating factor. Hence, patients, family, caregivers need to be armed with facts, which will help their clinicians choose the best drugs and avoid those most likely to cause other problems. Drugs, doses, medications to avoid and why, are all discussed in detail. This book is designed to provide the patient-family team with the knowledge necessary to partner with their doctors to get the best medical treatment. Dr. Ahlskog is an expert in Parkinson's disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies, thanks to his clinical and research work at Mayo Clinic. His previous general-audience title, "The Parkinson's Disease Treatment Book" has sold over 11,000 copies.