Memory clinic specialists explain differences between Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementia

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Two specialists with SMH Memory Disorder Clinic explained the differences between Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia after the death of actor Patrick Stewart brought both conditions back into public discussion.Dr. Erica Ailes and Daniel Valerie spoke about how the conditions are diagnosed and treated.Valerie said dementia is “a collective of symptoms of problems with memory, thinking, functional decline, cognitive decline,” and that it affects someone’s everyday life. Those symptoms help determine which disease is causing the dementia, Valerie said. Identifying that cause is what the memory clinic does.Valerie said Alzheimer’s and Lewy body are different brain diseases that cause dementia. Ailes said dementia is an umbrella term and a variety of conditions can contribute to it.Ailes said Lewy body dementia is often associated with abnormal protein development called alpha-synuclein that accumulates in the brain and can disrupt how things function. Sympto