This is what really happened to Robin Williams

[Victoria Victrix]

And I have immense respect for his wife for writing this.  I actually don't think I could have.

http://www.neurology.org/content/87/13/1308.full

[Tahquitz]

I had no idea what LBD was until his death.

Absolutely hellish: Most victims aren't found out until autopsy, and even if they are, palliative care is the only choice.  It was incredibly awesome of her to share this.

[ukaserex]

wow. I never heard of LBD until I read this. And forgive me, but I have to wonder if this was present in his brain to a lesser degree for years, or if it just presented itself in the last couple of years preceding his death.

It's no secret that Robin Williams wasn't afraid to try new things. LSD, Alcohol, probably numerous other types of drugs as well. I certainly couldn't say those things contributed - but I can certainly say they likely didn't help, either.

One thing is for sure, he had amazing talent for entertaining. Acting, comedy, music - not a lot of people could measure up to him.

[Reaper]

Thank you for sharing this.  I grew up watching Robin Williams and had really been hurt by his passing.  He was the only celebrity who passed where I was actually affected emotionally as though I had personally lost a family member.  I'm glad his wife shared this as it helped explain his end.

[Victoria Victrix]

wow. I never heard of LBD until I read this. And forgive me, but I have to wonder if this was present in his brain to a lesser degree for years, or if it just presented itself in the last couple of years preceding his death.

It's no secret that Robin Williams wasn't afraid to try new things. LSD, Alcohol, probably numerous other types of drugs as well. I certainly couldn't say those things contributed - but I can certainly say they likely didn't help, either.

One thing is for sure, he had amazing talent for entertaining. Acting, comedy, music - not a lot of people could measure up to him.

LBD is part of the Parkinson's spectrum, way off at the deep end.  It's unlikely any lifestyle thing contributed.

[AmberOfDzu]

From the Lewy Body Dementia Association page:

"LBD is not a rare disease. It affects an estimated 1.4 million individuals and their families in the United States. Because LBD symptoms can closely resemble other more commonly known diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, it is currently widely underdiagnosed. Many doctors or other medical professionals still are not familiar with LBD."

The site has a lot of good information, and I hope a small silver lining from the tragedy would be that more cases would be correctly diagnosed earlier.

[ukaserex]

LBD is part of the Parkinson's spectrum, way off at the deep end.  It's unlikely any lifestyle thing contributed.

Truth be told, with the incoming wave of all things "epigenetic", it's likely that we'll be hearing that everything is lifestyle related. You grow up on a farm and wake up early and are very active - that will cause certain genes to express.

You eat eggs and bacon every morning, other genes will express.

Everything is pretty much behavior/lifestyle related these days. But, who knows? 20 years from now, they might suggest it has something to do with the alignment of the planets and stars. People be crazy.