What is Lewy Body Dementia? Symptoms explored as Dream Weaver vocalist Gary Wright dies at 80

American musician Gary Wright passed away on Monday, September 4, 2023, after his recent battle with Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia. His unfortunate demise was confirmed by his son, Justin Wright, who stated that his 80-year-old father passed away at his house in Palos Veres, California.

Furthermore, Gary Wright’s son claimed that his father passed away peacefully. He also stated that he struggled health-wise due to his conditions as he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s five years back, and the disease was followed by Lewy Body dementia. Mayo Clinic lists Lewy Body dementia as the second most common dementia after Alzheimer’s.

The disease is basically caused by the abnormal deposit of protein in the brain, which affects the chemical changes, and leads to problems in thinking, moving and even a person’s behavior.

As per the National Institute of Aging, over 1 million Americans are affected by this disease. Furthermore, Gary Wright’s disease of Parkinson’s was also linked with Lewy Body Dementia, as many patients exhibit symptoms of both diseases together.

Gary Wright started his musical journey in 1967, and throughout his career, he collaborated with many singers, and gave many hit songs to the world, like Dream Weaver and Love is Alive.

As the legendary musician passed away, social media users were devastated and grief-stricken by the loss.

---

Symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia explored as Gary Wright passes away after a long battle with the disease

Lewy Body dementia, which is also known as LBD, is a common ageing disease and one of the most common causes of dementia. The Mayo Clinic states:

“Lewy body dementia causes a decline in mental abilities that gradually gets worse over time. People with Lewy body dementia might see things that aren't there. This is known as visual hallucinations. They also may have changes in alertness and attention.”

Furthermore, the symptoms of the disease include rigid muscles, tremors, issues in walking and moving, and slow movement. However, all of these symptoms are also common with Parkinson’s disease.

Moreover, some people with LBD also experience visual hallucinations, movement disorders, trouble with sleep, and even depression. It is commonly believed that these symptoms start slow, and become worse over the years.

The disease can last from anywhere up to five years to even 20 years for someone. The ability to cope with the disease depends on the severity of the symptoms, and the patient’s overall health, age, and treatment plan.

The National Institute of Aging claims that currently, there is no cure for this disease. However, the patient can be taken care of by providing medication for the symptoms.

Talking about the causes of LBD, the disease is mostly genetic, as the actual cause is unknown. However, medical experts claim that in the disease, the brain loses a certain set of neurons, which are basically the messenger cells, and dopamine, due to which a person develops the symptoms.

Furthermore, the risk factor is age, as it mostly develops in people who are over 50 years of age.

As the legendary musician Gary passes away, his family is grief-stricken, and so are his friends from the industry and fans. As the news spread on social media, tributes continued to pour in, however, as of now, the family has not revealed the information about the musician’s burial, funeral or memorial service.