Share to ClassroomPatrick Stewart Dies After Two Brain Diseases
Patrick Stewart, the English actor from "Star Trek" and "X-Men", died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86. His family said he had two brain diseases: Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia (LBD). Dementia is an illness that slowly damages memory and thinking. LBD is the second most common type, after Alzheimer's.
LBD happens when small clumps of a protein build up inside brain cells. These clumps damage the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory. People with LBD can make new memories, but they find it hard to remember them later. Their attention can change from hour to hour. People with LBD may also see things that are not there, and they can have stiff muscles or problems with balance. Some people act out their dreams in their sleep, years before other signs appear.
Doctors say LBD is hard to diagnose, or identify, because there is no clear test and it looks a lot like Alzheimer's. It usually starts after age 50, and it is a little more common in men. There is no cure, but medicine and special exercises can help with the symptoms. Finding it early helps people keep a better quality of life. The actor Robin Williams also had LBD. Doctors found it after his death in 2014.
