Auditory Hallucinations

My DW has been asking "What was that noise?" several times a day for years now. I rarely hear the noise she's talking about. It hasn't increased in years, but it has not gone away either. It can be quite frustrating, but I'm mostly over it by now.

I would encourage you to get some indoor cameras. They provide me with a lot of calm when I'm at work and she's with a caregiver. And, I use the cameras if I sneak out to do yard work when my DW takes a nap. I can check to see if she's up wandering around before she get anxious to find me.

I would no longer leave him home alone. If there were an emergency he wouldn’t know what to do. He could also wander off. Hallucinations and delusions are common. Medication may help. I would talk to his doctor.

Hallucinations (visual, gustatory, tactile, and/or auditory) are a common indicator of a specific type of dementia, Lewy Body Dementia. Also note that up to 50% of Lewy Body Dementia patients have been determined to also have Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia. Additional information about diagnosing Lewy Body Dementia from Alzheimer’s Disease is available at lbda.org. Spouses of LBD patients might be interested in joining the online forum Lewy Body Dementia CaringSpouses

Movement symptoms of Lewy body dementia

One of the core features of LBD is parkinsonism, which is an umbrella term that refers to brain conditions that cause movement issues.  Some people with LBD may not experience significant movement issues for several years, while others may experience them early on. At first, movement symptoms may be very subtle and easy to miss.

• Slowed movements (bradykinesia).
• Rigidity or stiffness.
• Tremors.
• Balance problems.
• Shuffling walk.
• Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).
• Reduced facial expressions.
• Frequent falls.
• Loss of coordination.
• Smaller handwriting than what’s normal for the person.

Cognitive symptoms of Lewy body dementia

Fluctuating cognitive (mental) function is a relatively specific feature of Lewy body dementia. A person with LBD may experience periods of being alert and coherent in between periods of being confused and unresponsive to questions. This can change from day to day or within the same day. Other cognitive symptoms include a decline in:

• Planning abilities.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Decision-making
• Memory (Unlike in Alzheimer's dementia, memory problems may not be present at first but often arise as LBD progresses).
• Ability to focus.
• Understanding information in visual form.

Hallucinations & Visuospacial

Visual hallucinations, or seeing things that aren’t there occur in up to 80% of people with LBD and often (but not always) early on in the condition. Other types of hallucinations, such as hearing or smelling things that aren’t there, are less common than visual ones but may also occur. Other visuospacial difficulties are also common:

·      Decreased depth perception

·      Trouble recognizing familiar objects

·      Impaired hand-eye coordination

Sleeping problems in Lewy body dementia

Sleep disorders are common in people with LBD, especially rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD). This condition involves frequent movements, such as flailing or punching, with yelling or speaking while sleeping. People living with RBD often have difficulty separating dreams from reality when they wake up. Other sleep issues associated with LBD include:

• Excessive daytime drowsiness.
• Changes in sleep patterns.
• Insomnia.

Dysautonomia in Lewy body dementia

Dysautonomia is a general term for a group of disorders that share a common problem — that is, an autonomic nervous system (ANS) that doesn’t function as it should.

The ANS is the part of your nervous system that controls involuntary body functions (functions you don’t consciously control) like your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, digestion and many more.

People with LBD can experience issues with their autonomic nervous system, which may result in the following symptoms:

• Changes in body temperature.
• Blood pressure drops that appear to be falls.
• Dizziness.
• Fainting.
• Sensitivity to heat and cold.
• Sexual dysfunction.
• Urinary incontinence.
• Fecal (bowel) incontinence.
• Constipation.

Mood and behavioral symptoms of Lewy body dementia

People with LBD may experience behavior and mood changes, which may worsen as their thinking abilities decline. Symptoms may include:

• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Agitation, restlessness or aggression.
• Delusions (strongly held false beliefs or opinions that have no basis in reality).
• Paranoia (an extreme, irrational distrust of others).