Robin
Williams' suicide could have been triggered by a common but devastating
form of dementia that may have disrupted his normal brain function.
Court documents obtained by TMZ
reveal that Williams, who was found hanging from a belt at his home in
California last August, was suffering from dementia with Lewy bodies.
Sources
connected with the troubled comic's family told the news site that the
degenerative disease was the 'key factor' they believe drove him to take
his own life.
Hallucinations
and delusions are common among those affected by Lewy bodies dementia,
and sufferers often struggle to identify friends and family. The disease
also typically causes problems with attention and alertness.
'The
condition itself is caused by the build-up of protein into clumps,
called Lewy bodies, in the brain, which can damage nerve cells in areas
involved in memory and thinking,' explained Hilary Evans, Director of
External Affairs at Alzheimer’s Research UK.
'These
protein clumps also play a role in Parkinson's disease, so some people
with dementia with Lewy bodies will also experience movement symptoms
similar to those seen in Parkinson's.'
On
Friday, authorities formally ruled the star's death as suicide as it
was revealed he was struggling with a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's
Disease as well as anxiety, depression and paranoia.
It
was found that the Mrs Doubtfire star - who had battled drink and drugs
in the past - had four drugs in his system at the time of his death. Toxicology reports found two anti-depressants and two caffeine compounds and there was no alcohol in his system.
When
authorities found Robin's body, the reports states they saw a closed
bottle of Seroquel, a drug that treats schizophrenia, bipolar disorders
and depression. It was prescribed a week before he died.
The
legendary comic battled paranoia, according to the report, and the night
before he died, he placed several wristwatches in a sock and gave them
to someone because he was worried about their safe keeping.
The
report says the last outgoing call from Robin's phone was at 7.08 PM
the night before he died. He had called his wife Susan, and it lasted 38
seconds.
Susan told authorities he called because he was picking up magazines for her at a bookstore.
When
asked about his behavior, Susan said he seemed well and had taken his
iPad from their closet which she took to be a good sign because he
hadn't watched TV or read anything in about six months.
WHAT IS LEWY BODIES DEMENTIA?
LBD is a common form of dementia - it affects an estimated 1.3 million people in the United States.
The disease is caused by abnormal microscopic deposits that damage brain cells over time
This leads to a decline in thinking, reasoning and independent function
The
disease takes its name from Frederick H. Lewy - the neurologist who
discovered the brain abnormalities during the early 1900s
It
shares symptoms with Parkinson's Disease - sufferers can experience
motor control problems, such as hunched posture, rigid muscles and a
shuffling walk
Those affected can suffer visual hallucinations, which generally take the form of phantom objects, people or animals there
It
is also linked to Alzheimer's disease as it is more common over the age
of 65 and those affected often suffer from confusion and memory loss
The
web browser had several tabs open to websites discussing medications,
including Lyrica, an anti-seizure drug, and propranolol, which treats
blood pressure and tremors.
The
couple were sleeping in separate bedrooms, Susan said, because Robin
was having trouble sleeping and would talk loudly in his sleep.
The last time she saw him was around 10.30pm on Sunday night and said he seemed 'excited'.
According
to the report, Robin had experienced Parkinson's symptoms since 2011.
He had a tremor in his left arm and movement in his left hand had
slowed.
He had recently started taking Levodopa to treat the symptoms.
Known
as 'the funniest man alive', Williams fought drug and alcohol problems
when he played a lead role in the Mork & Mindy sitcom, on his path
to stardom.
He
had stayed mainly sober for 20 years but in July he went into rehab to
use the 12-step program he championed, this time during a brief stay at a
Minnesota facility.
Publicist
Mara Buxbaum said at the time that Williams had not fallen off the
wagon, but was 'taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his
continued commitment, of which he remains extremely proud.'
This
year he has six movies either out or due for release and had also been
working on the TV series The Crazy Ones - but it was axed after one
season.
He admitted he returned to TV after nearly three decades because two divorces have left him short of cash.
The
comic's breakups cost him £20million and he claims to need a 'steady
job'. He was also selling his £20million California ranch due to his
sizeable alimony payments.
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