Bill Buckner, the famed Boston Red Sox hitter who also famously missed a ground ball during the 1986 World Series, died Monday [May 27] after a battle with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), a brain disease that is far less known than Alzheimer’s disease. Comedian Robin Williams also had it and CNN founder Ted Turner announced last September that he had it.
Despite its relatively low profile, Lewy body dementia is responsible for 5 percent to 10 percent of dementia cases, making it the third most common cause of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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How is it different than Alzheimer’s disease?
There is considerable overlap in symptoms, particularly as the diseases progress. The first symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is often poor short-term memory. People with DLB, [said David Irwin, an expert at Penn Medicine], are more likely to have these symptoms first:
- Well-formed visual hallucinations including people and animals. …
- Periods of inattention or disorganized speech. …
- Difficulty with executive functioning, attention and spatial skills.
- Cognitive changes paired with physical problems, including impaired balance and tremor when reaching for something. Changes in autonomic functions can lead to poor blood pressure control (feeling faint while standing), constipation or bladder control.
Read full, original post: Baseball’s Bill Buckner had Lewy body dementia. Here are 3 things you need to know about the disease.
