Lewy Body Dementia - It's been stated that behind Robin Williams' death was the fact that he suffered from Parkinson's disease. What if he really didn't suffer that, but another disease instead?
It seems reports are appearing saying that what the actor suffered was Lewy Body Dementia and not Parkinson's disease, as originally thought, NY Daily News noted.
This could be a possibility from the point of view that both diseases are actually confused. The symptoms presented in each one are similar, with certain variations, though.
The symptoms that said disease presents are somewhat similar to Alzheimer's disease, it seems. As a foundation, Alzheimer's main attribute is the progressive loss of memory.
Lewy Body Dementia includes this too in some rate, but also other attributes.
"Symptoms that differentiate it from Alzheimer's include unpredictable levels of cognitive ability, attention or alertness, changes in walking or movement, visual hallucinations, a sleep disorder called REM sleep behavior disorder," according to Lewy Body Dementia Association.
The last disorder mentioned, the sleep behavior disorder, states that people actually act out their dreams. They do it physically. In addition, they have a high sensitivity to medication.
The relation that this disease has to Parkinson's is that the slowness, the rigidity and the trouble walking, which are common symptoms to Parkinson's can be seen in Lewy Body Dementia as well.
Before his death, Williams was prescribed several medications and according to the reports his wife Susan gave to the authorities, they were making the actor feel unwell.
Williams died at the age of 63 on Aug. 11. He committed suicide by hanging himself with the use of a belt, CBS News noted.
He had been battling with substance abuse problems throughout his life and at the end; he suffered from anxiety and depression. Still, no traces of alcohol or drugs were found in his body during the autopsy.
Due to this fact, Lewy Body Dementia could be a lead to his death.
