Robin Williams' wife blames Lewy body dementia for his death
- Georgia woman's wedding photo pays tribute to 'angel' son
- 167,000 pounds of ground beef recalled over possible E. coli contamination
- Mom caught on video taking Halloween candy from porch
- How your Facebook profile can affect your credit
- Woman sneaks into zoo, gets bitten by tiger, police say
Robin Williams' widow, Susan, has finally spoken out after Williams' suicide last August, telling ABC she blames Lewy body dementia for his death.
Lewy body dementia, or LBD, occurs when clumps of protein collect in the brain and hinder function in the nerves.
Related galleries
- PHOTOS: Remembering Robin Williams
- PHOTOS: Robin Williams' Napa winery for sale
- PHOTOS: Robin Williams cracks up celebrities
- PHOTOS: The filmography of Robin Williams
It's similar to Parkinson's disease, but the dementia doesn't happen right away. LBD can cause hallucinations, confusion and delusions among other symptoms which makes it different from Alzheimer's.
"In November of 2013, he had a little gut pain. Next month, it was another symptom," Susan Schneider said. "It was like this endless parade of symptoms."
She says Williams didn't show signs of being suicidal but says the "chemical warfare no one knew about" was going on in his mind.
Popular radio host Casey Kasem, who died just months before Williams, was also diagnosed with LBD.
Currently, there's no cure for Parkinson's or LBD.
This video includes an image from Getty Images and Jensflorian / CC BY SA 3.0.
