<div class="infobox infobox-institution"> {| class="infobox-table" [@mckeith2017] | colspan="2" class="infobox-header" | Lewy Body Dementia Association [@galvin2021] |- [@walker2023] | Founded | 1990 (as Lewy Body Dementia Association) |- | Headquarters | Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA |- | Type | Non-profit Patient Advocacy Organization |- | Focus | Lewy body dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson's disease dementia |- | Website | [lbda.org](https://www.lbda.org) |} </div>
Overview
Mermaid diagram (expand to render)
The Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) is the leading organization dedicated to raising awareness and providing support for people affected by Lewy body dementia (LBD). LBD is the second most common form of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease, affecting approximately 1.4 million Americans. The organization serves patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals through education, support services, and research advocacy.
Research Focus Areas
Clinical Research: Supporting clinical trials and studies specific to LBD
Biomarker Development: Identifying biomarkers for LBD diagnosis and progression
Caregiver Support: Research into caregiver burden and interventions
Treatment Optimization: Optimizing pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments
Autopsy Program: Brain bank for LBD research
Major Initiatives
Lewy Body Dementia Research Center of Excellence
A network of specialized clinical centers providing expert diagnosis and care while advancing LBD research. These centers conduct clinical trials, collect biospecimens, and contribute to understanding LBD pathophysiology.
LBD Clinical Trials
LBDA actively promotes and supports clinical trials specific to LBD, including trials targeting:
The study of Lewy Body Dementia Association has evolved significantly over the past decades. Research in this area has revealed important insights into the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and continues to drive therapeutic development.
Historical context and key discoveries in this field have shaped our current understanding and will continue to guide future research directions.
References
Lewy Body Dementia Association. (2024), About LBD (2024)
[McKeith, I.G., et al. (2017), Diagnosis and management of dementia with Lewy bodies (2017)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28252428/)
[Galvin, J.E., et al. (2021), Lewy body dementia: The caregiver's perspective (2021)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34241567/)
Walker, Z. et al., (2023). "DLB Consortium Criteria Update." Lancet Neurology (2023)