Lewy Body Dementia and Vision
When we think about vision, we often focus solely on the eyes—but sight involves much more than that. In fact, nearly half of the brain is involved in processing and interacting with visual information. Approximately 25% of the brain is dedicated to interpreting what we see, while another 25% connects visual input with memory, recognition, motor skills, navigation, and hazard awareness. This presentation explores how these critical brain functions are affected when Lewy bodies—abnormal protein deposits associated with Lewy Body Dementia—interfere with visual processing areas. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how disruptions in visual cognition can impact everyday activities and quality of life.
This class will be held both virtually and in-person in Fairfax. Please select your attendance type when you register.
The in-person session will be held in the Mazawey Education and Support Center, 3955 Pender Drive, Suite 100, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Virtual attendees will receive Zoom information prior to the class.
This program is a part of our monthly Care Partner Training series. All sessions are FREE, and held the second Wednesday of each month from 1:00 to 2:30 pm.
Presenter
Julia Wood, MOT, OTR/L
Julia Wood, MOT, OTR/L graduated with her master’s degree in occupational therapy (OT) from the University of Minnesota after completion of her clinical fieldwork in neurological rehabilitation from the Mayo Clinic, St. Mary’s Hospital campus in Rochester, Minnesota. Julia has an extensive clinical background in interprofessional care in Parkinson’s disease and related dementias as part of the comprehensive care team at the University of Pennsylvania’s Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Center of Excellence for many years.
Julia is the Director of Professional and Community Education for the Lewy Body Dementia Association and serves as certification and training faculty for the LSVT BIG® program. Julia serves as faculty for the Parkinson’s Foundation’s Team Training for Parkinson program served on the Parkinson’s Foundation Rehabilitation Task Force in 2021. She co-authored the first Practice Guideline for Adults with Parkinson’s Disease for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Julia served on the steering committee for the 2022 International Lewy Body Dementia Conference and serves on the Comprehensive Care Subcommittee for the World Parkinson’s Congress (WPC). She is a member of the Board of Directors for the International Neuropalliative Care Society.
