It's now clear why Robin Williams committed suicide. TMZ revealed that the award-winning comedian's suicide was triggered by Lewy Body Dementia (LBD).

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Documents gathered by the entertainment website showed that Williams was fighting with the disease due to "abnormal" protein presence found in the brain causing it to function improperly.

The National Institutes of Health defined  LBD: The central features of LBD include progressive cognitive decline, "fluctuations" in alertness and attention, visual hallucinations, and parkinsonian motor symptoms, such as slowness of movement, difficulty walking, or rigidity. 

LBD is triggered by the excessive amount of Lewy bodies - accumulated bits of alpha-synuclein protein - in the nuclei of neurons of the brain, which control certain aspects of memory and motor control.

LBD is the second most common type of progressive dementia next to Alzheimer's disease, TV Guide writes.

Robin's wife, Susan, told authorities after the actor's death that he had been complaining about his medications and the how he felt each time he took the medications.

Sources close to William's family shared with TMZ that they believed LBD was the "key factor" that drove the actor to kill himself.

William's doctors also seconded that the disease was a significant factor leading to his suicide.

Williams was suffering from severe depression, drug abuse and alcoholism. He had to check himself into the Hazelden Rehab a few weeks before his suicide, Washington Post reports.

And it's not only Williams' who has been a high-profile celeb suffering from LBD. Last spring, the late Casey Kasem was also reported to have suffered from the same disease after he went missing.

TagsRobin Williams, lewey body dementia