Man hallucinates in his sleep; diagnosis goes beyond initial suspicion of dementia

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By Chetana Belagere

May 14 2024

For 60-year-old Raju’s family, his behaviour for over three months was very concerning. He had begun to complain about seeing snakes and young teens engaged in explicit activities.

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“He would forget where he kept items of daily use. He would repeatedly ask for food, even after having had the meals,” explained Dr Sudhir Kumar, a noted neurologist.

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Kumar told South First that the clinical diagnosis — given the symptoms mentioned above — was very obvious. “It was a case of dementia,” he explained.

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Advanced imaging techniques such as MRI and PET scans emerged as valuable tools in differentiating between LBD and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) for the patient.

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These imaging modalities provided insights into the structural and functional changes in the brain, aiding in the final diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease.

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“This means, one in four patients with AD can develop hallucinations. It is associated with greater cognitive impairment and a more rapid deterioration,” added Dr Kumar.

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“At the one-month follow-up, his hallucinations had reduced. There was mild improvement in his cognitive functions as well,” recalled the doctor.

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He also said how Raju’s case was an example of the complexity of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and the importance of a multidimensional approach.

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