Pathology of the Stars: Casey Kasem
"Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014)
Radio legend "Casey" Kasem passed away at age 82, after suffering from Lewy Body dementia.
He was the voice of “Shaggy” in the Scooby-Doo cartoons and was the host of the American Top 40 music radio show.
His famous sign off was "Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars."
Lewy Body Dementia (Dementia with Lewy Bodies)
- Progressive dementia of the elderly
- Second MCC of degenerative dementia after Alzheimers
- Motor features of Parkinsons
- Visual hallucinations
- Variation in alertness and attention
- Sleep disorder
- Orthostatic hypotension leading to syncope and repeated falls.
Microscopic Features:
Lewy bodies
- Round, eosinophilic, intracytoplasmic neuronal inclusions
- Composed of alpha- synuclein and ubiquitin
Other Findings
- Loss of dopinergic neurons (like Parkinsons)
- Loss of ACH-producing neurons (Like Alzehimers)
- Presence of amyloid plaques (Like Alzehimers)
Notice that Lewy body dementia has a lot of crossover with Parkinsons and Alzheimers which can lead to a misdiagnosis.
Photo by Alan Light; Thanks to Dr. Abishek Bala
Copyright ©2014 Thunderpath Media Inc.
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