Dr. Daniel Burdick from the Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland, Washingon, joins Suzanne Newman to talk about a type of dementia that's rarely discussed at Answers for Elders. Dr. Burdick is a physician's investigator trained in movement and neuro-psychiatric disorders.

Lewy body dementia encompasses two separate disorders: Parkinson's dementia and Dementia with Lewy Bodies, which are very similar. They're different from other forms of dementia in that they come with motor symptoms like tremors, slowness, stiffness, and trouble moving, and commonly include hallucinations and delusions. The distinction between the two is the timing of symptoms. In Parkinson's disease dementia, the motor symptoms happen first. In Dementia with Lewy Bodies, the dementia happens first, or within the first year.

Being part of a clinical trial is an important way to participate in developing treatments for these diseases. Everyone participating is looking for better treatments. We have treatments that help with symptoms, but we're lacking in treatments to slow progression. One of the best ways to make your future better if you have it, if you want to be proactive with the disease, is to volunteer in a clinical trial. It's important to know if these treatments actually work the way we hope they do, and because we want to make sure we're giving safe, effective treatments for our patients, and that's how to get them approved for use.

The shape trial studies a specific treatment for Lewy body dementia. It's being studied in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington, To learn more and sign up for this trial, go to https://shapetrial.com/. If you're in the Seattle area, you can also sign up at Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland. Courtesy of Athira Pharma.

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