Some rigidity and stiffness may be seen. There may also be a disturbed sleep pattern with nightmares and abnormal behaviour. DLB is thought to be due to a faulty production of a protein, which then builds up within the nerve cells of the brain.
Cognitive decline is always a feature and memory problems occur in two out of three patients.
Characteristically these fluctuate in severity and are associated with various degrees of alertness and attention span. There are increasing problems of daily living. Stiffness is seen which appears similar to that of Parkinson s disease and repeated falls often occur. These hallucinations often occur at night. Other behavioural problems similar to those seen in Fronto-temporal dementia may be seen although not usually in the early stages the illness.