What is Lewy body dementia? Inside the condition Patrick Stewart had before his death

Legendary “Star Trek” and “X-Men” actor Sir Patrick Stewart died Wednesday at his home in LA following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.He was 86.“He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter, and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all,” read a statement posted Thursday to Stewart’s Instagram page.“We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection of his invincible grace.”Over 7 million Americans have been diagnosed with dementia, which gradually destroys memory, thinking skills and the capacity to perform basic tasks.Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, accounting for about 60% to 70% of cases, while Lewy body dementia is responsible for roughly 10% to 15% of cases.Here’s everything you need to know about Lewy body dementia (LBD), from symptoms to treatments and other celebrities diagnosed with the condition.It’s a progressive brain disorder caused by abnormal clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein —known as Lewy bodies — building up inside neurons in the brain.The clumps are named after Dr.

Friedrich Lewy, the German-born physician who identified them in 1912, per the National Institute on Aging.LBD is a specific type of dementia that differs from Alzheimer’s.Alzheimer’s, for one, is primarily characterized by the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles instead of Lewy bodies.“LBD has many core clinical features that distinguish this form of dementia from Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr.Jonathan Fellows from the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders (MIND) previously told The Post.“Patients can experience fluctuations in their cognition, alertness and attention, which can vary from day to day or even from hour to hour.”And unlike Alzheimer’s, in which sufferers have trouble forming new memories, people with LBD can create new memorie...