14 Dec Doctor Tuchman’s Interview on Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Dr. Michael Tuchman was recently interviewed by the Palm Beach Post in regards to dementia with Lewy Bodies, or “DLB,” the effects it has and how it affected a Palm Beach Gardens couple. DLB is caused by the buildup of protein clusters in the brain and symptoms include rapid mood swings, insomnia and nightmares, hallucinations and memory loss.

From the Palm Beach Post:

“Like so many couples, Bonnie and Jeffery Austin were ready to enjoy retirement when they moved to Florida, bought a 40-foot sailboat and took off for the Caribbean after successful careers at General Motors.

But their golden years were cut short when Jeffery had a sudden, puzzling change in behavior off the island of Bonaire, and the couple realized he lost 35 pounds in six weeks. It was the start of a three-year struggle to find an accurate diagnosis and a decade of slow, heartbreaking deterioration in Jeffery’s health, Bonnie Austin, of Boca Raton, said.”

Jeffery Austin was later diagnosed with DLB and died of the disease this September after local doctors were unable to diagnose him early on. In an effort to better understand the effects of DLB, Dr. Tuchman and the Palm Beach Neurological Center are conducting a study of Axovant, a clinical trial for the treatment of DLB. The Palm Beach Neurological Center is currently enrolling patients.

“Lewy body dementia begins differently from person to person and can take six months to a year or more to correctly diagnose” Tuchman was quoted in the Post. “There is no treatment specifically for the disease, so the Food and Drug Administration has given the clinical trial drug expedited status.”

The drug, RVT-101, is designed to help the brain retain naturally occurring chemicals related to memory and movement. While the drug is not able to cure the disease, it may be able to reduce the symptoms associated with DLB.

The Axovant study is now open to those who meet the following criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis of dementia with Lewy Bodies for a minimum of 2 months
• Age 50-85
• Has a caregiver that can attend appointments

You may contact us at 561-282-5546 to enroll.

Bonnie Austin now hosts a monthly Lewy body support group in Boca Raton once a month to aid the patients and caregivers of the disease.

View the original article at: