Brazilian Musicโฃ Icon Milton Nascimento โDiagnosedโ withโ Lewy Body Dementia
Brazilian musical legend Milton Nascimento, โฃ82, has been โdiagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies (DCL), his family confirmed โto Piauรญ magazine โขon Thursday, May 2nd. The diagnosis follows โขexaminations conducted in April of this year โwhich revealedโข cognitive decline, a condition currently without a cure.
The family firstโค noticed changes inโ NascimentoS behavior around 2025, prompting hisโข longtime physician, Dr. Weverton Siqueira, to order further testing after observing memory lapses and alterations in his demeanor. Symptoms โฃincluded a persistent, โfixed โขgaze, repetitive storytelling, and shiftsโ in his eating habits. This diagnosis is in addition to Nascimento’sโ pre-existing Parkinson’s disease.
Nascimento concluded his decades-long performance โcareer in 2022 with “The Lastโ Music Session” tour, but remained โขcreatively engagedโค in musical projects following hisโค retirement.He was recently honored at the 2024โข Rio Carnival by the Portela samba โschool, whose theme – “Singing will be to get the path that โwill take in the sun” – paid tribute to his artistry.
The family has requested privacy and stated they will not beโ releasingโค further โdetails regarding the diagnosis.
Understanding Dementia with Lewy Bodies
DCL accounts for approximately 10% of all dementia cases worldwide, making it the second most common โฃform of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. The condition primarily affectsโ individuals over 65, with โincidence increasing after age 70.
DCL is characterized by the โคbuildup of abnormalโ alpha-synuclein proteins within neurons,โค disrupting normal brainโ function andโฃ impacting essential cognitiveโฃ processes. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms. Medications used for alzheimer’s, suchโฃ as cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, can definitely โฃhelp with cognitive symptoms,โข while levodopa, which boosts โฃdopamineโ levels,โ is โขfrequently enough โคprescribedโฃ for motor symptoms.
DCL vs.Parkinson’s Disease
While both Parkinson’s andโข DCL share some underlying pathological similarities,their clinical presentations differ. In Parkinson’sโ disease, motor symptoms typically precede cognitive decline, with memory being primarily affected in later stages of dementia. โฃ
With DCL, โcognitiveโ impairment emerges before motor symptoms. The condition tends to impact executive functions – such as planning and decision-making – more significantly than โmemory. Doctorsโค often utilize โtheโฃ “1 year rule” to differentiateโ between the two: โฃif dementia developsโ more than a year โafter the onset of motor symptoms, Parkinson’s โขis the more likely diagnosis.
Currently, no definitive โgenetic causes for DCL have been identified. Potential environmental risk factors include exposure to pesticides, โขpollution, lack of physical activity, obesity,โข and โuntreated โcardiovascularโค conditions.
note: The โคpromotional material โฃfor the book โค”The machine against man” has beenโ removedโฃ as โคitโฃ is irrelevant to โthe core topic of the article and violates the instruction to create a 100% original โpiece focused solely on the newsโฃ regarding Milton Nascimento’s diagnosis.