Lewy body dementia is the second most diagnosed dementia, and it’s closely related to Parkinson’s disease. What sets it apart from Parkinson’s disease is that with LBD, cognitive changes begin before noticeable changes in motor movements, or they begin within the same year as motor changes. Examples of common motor changes can include tremors, rigidity, or slowness in walking.
Some soft signs of LBD include fluctuating alertness during the day. This can look like a person starting to take naps more frequently than in the past, and they may seem tired despite said naps.
Additionally, if someone sleeps with them, the partner may notice symptoms of REM sleep disorder, which causes individuals to move around in their sleep. At times this can even involve accidentally hitting their partner during sleep and having increased nightmares.
They may also begin to develop visual hallucinations of well-formed things, like people or animals they have lost. Other soft signs include changes to autonomic function such as having constipation, sweating more frequently, or feeling cold more often.
Beginning to have issues with balance may lead to more frequent falls. Another soft sign of LBD is a reduced sense of smell (but with that said, a reduced sense of smell can be a common sign of several types of dementia).
To recap, some soft signs that could indicate LBD include:
