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Int Psychogeriatr 2020 Jun 2:1-10. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

North West Boroughs NHS Foundation Trust, Warrington, UK.

Objectives: People with dementia can face barriers when trying to access care after a diagnosis, particularly in young-onset dementia (YOD). Little is known about the effects of ethnicity on the use of anti-dementia medication and variations between age groups. The aim of this study was to analyze national data on variations in the uptake of anti-dementia medication between people with YOD and late-onset dementia (LOD). Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2020 May 24;75:70-75. Epub 2020 May 24.

Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI, Department of Excellence of the Italian Ministry of University and Research), University of Genoa, Largo Daneo 3, 16132, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy.

Introduction: The reduction of background activity and the increase of low-frequency powers on electroencephalogram (EEG) correlate with cognitive impairment and have been suggested to be underpinned by cholinergic deficit. We aimed to investigate the ratio between α and θ band power (α/θ ratio), as a synoptic index of quantitative EEG (qEEG) slowing-down, in a peculiar group of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to an early-stage Lewy body disease (MCI-LBD), as compared to de novo PD patients without cognitive impairment (PD-MOT), to patients with MCI due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD), and to healthy controls (HC).

Methods: Twelve patients with MCI-LBD (8 males; mean age 74. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2020 May 25;75:55-62. Epub 2020 May 25.

Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address:

There is a considerable overlap between Parkinson's Disease Dementia (PDD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). They present a challenge therapeutically, with regard to morbidity and mortality risk. In particular, symptoms of psychosis in these conditions augur a considerably increased burden. Read More

Mov Disord 2020 Jun 1. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

Background: Several studies have proposed a role for infections to induce an inflammatory response triggering Parkinson's disease. This remains controversial and the influence of severe infections on other α-synucleinopathies (Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Parkinson's disease dementia, and Multiple System Atrophy) has not been adequately investigated.

Objectives: To assess the association between hospitalization-required infections or sepsis and risk of clinically diagnosed α-synucleinopathies. Read More

Front Biosci (Landmark Ed) 2020 Jun 1;25:1718-1731. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Department of Anatomy and Histology and Embryology, Capital Medical University, No. 10 Xitoutiao, Youanmanwai, Fengtai district, Beijing 100069, China,

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, pathologically characterized by abnormal alpha-synuclein aggregation  and Lewy body formation, which leads to neurodegeneration and dopaminergic cell death. Currently there is no cure for PD. Thus, it is imperative to develop a new therapeutic approach. Read More

J Neurol Sci 2020 May 20;415:116928. Epub 2020 May 20.

Department of Neurology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.

HS1-associated protein X-1 (HAX-1) and presenilin-associated rhomboid-like protein (PALR) were reported to play an important role in the activation of HtrA2/Omi, which is also designated PARK13, in the mitochondria. To elucidate the role of HAX-1 and PARL in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), we performed immunohistochemical studies on HtrA2/Omi, HAX-1 and PARL using autopsied brains from 8 normal subjects, 10 patients with PD and 5 patients with DLB. In accordance with our previous report, brainstem-type and cortical Lewy bodies were strongly immunopositive for HtrA2/Omi. Read More

Neurosci Lett 2020 May 26;733:135093. Epub 2020 May 26.

Department of Neurobiology, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Beijing, China.

Aging is associated with an increased risk for Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, in which α-synuclein (α-syn) oligomerization plays key pathogenic roles. Here, we show that oligomeric α-syn levels increase with age in the human brain and are accompanied by a decrease in the activity of glucocerebrosidase (GCase), a lysosomal enzyme whose dysfunction is linked to the accumulation of oligomeric α-syn. The inverse relationship between oligomeric α-syn levels and GCase activity was more evident in brain regions susceptible to neurodegeneration (i. Read More

J Affect Disord 2020 May 21;274:247-261. Epub 2020 May 21.

School of Psychology, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.

Background: Depression, anxiety and PTSD appear to be linked to dementia, but it is unclear whether they are risk factors (causal or prodromal) for, comorbid with, or sequelae to (secondary effect of) dementia. Existing meta-analyses have examined depression or anxiety in all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD), but have not considered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), or frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The current meta-analysis examined the risk of developing dementia (AD, VaD, DLB, FTD, all-cause) in people with and without a history of clinically-significant depression, anxiety or PTSD in order to better understand the link between mental illness and dementia (PROSPERO number: CRD42018099872). Read More

Nature 2020 May 27. Epub 2020 May 27.

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.

Synucleinopathies, which include multiple system atrophy (MSA), Parkinson's disease, Parkinson's disease with dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), are human neurodegenerative diseases. Existing treatments are at best symptomatic. These diseases are characterized by the presence of, and believed to be caused by the formation of, filamentous inclusions of α-synuclein in brain cells. Read More

Intern Med 2020 May 26. Epub 2020 May 26.

Shimada Hospital, Japan.

An 86-year-old man, who had undergone a lumboperitoneal shunt for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) implanted 4 years earlier showed progressive parkinsonism for the past year. His clinical symptoms, including resting tremor and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, responsiveness to levodopa, and abnormal findings on I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy and dopamine transporter imaging, indicated that his pathological background of parkinsonism included concomitant synucleinopathy, such as Parkinson's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies, in addition to iNPH. Clinicians should consider the possibility of concomitant proteinopathies and their treatments when clinical symptoms become evident after shunt operations in patients with iNPH. Read More

Redox Biol 2020 May 18;34:101546. Epub 2020 May 18.

Department of Neurology, University Clinic Bonn, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany. Electronic address:

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) such as Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are distinct clinical entities, however, the aggregation of key neuronal proteins, presumably leading to neuronal demise appears to represent a common mechanism. It has become evident, that advanced glycation end products (AGEs) trigger the accumulation of such modified proteins, which eventually contributes to pathological aspect of NDDs. Increased levels of AGEs are found in amyloid plaques in AD brains and in both advanced and early PD (incidental Lewy body disease). Read More

Molecules 2020 May 24;25(10). Epub 2020 May 24.

Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY 10029, USA.

The aggregation and deposition of α-synuclein (αS) are major pathologic features of Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and other α-synucleinopathies. The propagation of αS pathology in the brain plays a key role in the onset and progression of clinical phenotypes. Thus, there is increasing interest in developing strategies that attenuate αS aggregation and propagation. Read More

eNeurologicalSci 2020 Jun 8;19:100241. Epub 2020 May 8.

Department of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.

•Pathological basis of primary progressive aphasia is heterogeneous.•Logopenic primary progressive aphasia can precede dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).•Cholinesterase inhibitor can improve logopenic aphasia with DLB. Read More

Autophagy 2020 May 26. Epub 2020 May 26.

Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, NY, 10029, USA.

SNCA/α-synuclein is a major component in the Lewy body (LB), a pathological hallmark of Parkinson disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy body (DLB), collectively known as synucleinopathies. SNCA/α-synuclein can be secreted from neurons and transmitted to neighboring cells including neurons and glia, which underlie the spreading of LB pathology as described by Braak and colleagues. We recently have investigated the mechanism and significance for microglia, a prototypic phagocyte in the brain, in engulfing and controlling SNCA/α-synuclein homeostasis in the brain. Read More

Neurobiol Aging 2020 Apr 29;93:55-60. Epub 2020 Apr 29.

Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Science, and Aging Research Centre, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy. Electronic address:

Electroencephalography (EEG) slowing with prealpha dominant frequency (DF) in posterior derivations is a biomarker for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) diagnosis, in contrast with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, an intrasubject re-evaluation of the original data, which contributed to the identification of EEG DLB biomarker, showed that DF was slower in anterior than posterior derivations. We suppose this anterior-posterior gradient of DF slowing could arise in DLB from a thalamocortical dysrhythmia, differently involving the anterior and posterior cortical areas, and correlating with cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination). Read More

Neurosci Res 2020 May 22. Epub 2020 May 22.

Department of Neurology, Juntendo University Japan; Department of Neurology, Tokyo Clinic Japan.

Discovery of Park2 is our finding of a family of young onset parkinsonism, in which this family was thought to be associated with a polymorphism of the manganese superoxide gene. The gene locus of the manganese superoxide dismutase has been known. We were able to pick up a gene for this family and related families in the close approximate position at the long arm of chromosome 6. Read More

Brain Res 2020 May 22;1743:146897. Epub 2020 May 22.

Beaumont Research Institute, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA; Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI 48309, USA. Electronic address:

Disruptions of brain metabolism are considered integral to the pathogenesis of dementia, but thus far little is known of how dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) impacts the brain metabolome. DLB is less well known than other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease which is perhaps why it is under-investigated. This exploratory study aimed to address current knowledge gaps in DLB research and search for potentially targetable biochemical pathways for therapeutics. Read More

J Neurol Sci 2020 May 8;415:116891. Epub 2020 May 8.

Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka 560029, India. Electronic address:

Sleep disturbance is one of the commonly reported non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) as well as in Parkinson plus disorders such as multiple system atrophy (MSA), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and corticobasal syndrome (CBS). Although there is a wealth of literature on sleep disturbances in PD, the same is not robust on the Parkinson plus disorders. This article aims to comprehensively review the sleep disturbances in Parkinson plus disorders. Read More

J Neurol 2020 May 21. Epub 2020 May 21.

Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.

Background: Pick's disease (PiD) is a unique subtype of frontotemporal lobar degeneration characterized pathologically by aggregates of 3-Repeat tau. Few studies have examined the clinical variability and disease progression in PiD. We describe the clinical features, neuropsychological profiles and coexistent pathologies in 21 cases of autopsy-confirmed PiD. Read More

Neurobiol Dis 2020 May 18:104946. Epub 2020 May 18.

Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA; Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and vascular dementia (VaD) are the most common forms of dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD). The heterogeneity of these disorders and/or the clinical overlap with other diseases hinder the study of their genetic components. Even though Mendelian dementias are rare, the study of these forms of disease can have a significant impact in the lives of patients and families and have successfully brought to the fore many of the genes currently known to be involved in FTD and VaD, starting to give us a glimpse of the molecular mechanisms underlying these phenotypes. Read More

Psychiatr Clin North Am 2020 Jun 8;43(2):361-381. Epub 2020 Apr 8.

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Phipps 300, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address:

Parkinson disease has historically been conceptualized as a movement disorder. In recent decades, nonmotor and neuropsychiatric symptoms have become increasingly recognized as being of paramount importance for patients with Parkinson disease. Neuropsychiatric phenomena dominate the course of the other major Lewy body disease, dementia with Lewy bodies. Read More

Biology (Basel) 2020 May 19;9(5). Epub 2020 May 19.

Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Miskolc, 3515 Miskolc, Hungary.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multi-attribute neurodegenerative disorder combining motor and nonmotor symptoms without well-defined diagnostic clinical markers. The presence of primary motor features (bradykinesia, rest tremor, rigidity and loss of postural reflexes) are the most characteristic signs of PD that are also utilized to identify patients in current clinical practice. The successful implementation of levodopa treatment revealed that nonmotor features are the main contributors of patient disability in PD, and their occurrence might be earlier than motor symptoms during disease progression. Read More

Psychogeriatrics 2020 May 20. Epub 2020 May 20.

Department of Geriatrics, Brugmann University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.

Cell Tissue Bank 2020 May 20. Epub 2020 May 20.

Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.

This study reports the results of the first brain tissue banking experience of Turkey in the Unit for Aging Brain and Dementia at Dokuz Eylul University, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Izmir. Here, we have briefly described our efforts on brain banking in our country, which consist of six brains from autopsies that had at least two years of clinical follow-up in the 2015-2017 period. The evaluation led to the diagnosis of two Alzheimer's disease (AD) with cerebral amyloid angiopathy, one AD with dementia with Lewy bodies, one corticobasal degeneration, one multiple system atrophy, one vascular dementia. Read More

Rinsho Shinkeigaku 2020 May 19. Epub 2020 May 19.

Department of Neurology, Fukuoka University.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are two major types of dementia. Due to shared signs and symptoms, accurate diagnosis of these dementia subtypes is a clinical challenge. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the combined use of neuropsychological testing and brain imaging data for the differential diagnosis of these conditions. Read More

J Neurol Sci 2020 May 11;415:116886. Epub 2020 May 11.

UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Rationale: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are two common forms of neurodegenerative dementia, subsequent to Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is the only dementia that includes clinically validated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in the diagnostic criteria. FTD and DLB often overlap with AD in their clinical and pathological features, making it challenging to differentiate between these conditions. Read More

Nurs Stand 2020 May 19. Epub 2020 May 19.

Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts & Health, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, England.

The therapeutic properties of music have been recognised since antiquity. In recent years, there has been a growing evidence base to support claims about the benefits of music for individuals with various health conditions, including dementia. It has been reported that music interventions can lead to improvements in cognition, behaviour and psychosocial well-being in people with dementia, as well as improving the experience of carers. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 May 18;10(1):8137. Epub 2020 May 18.

Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.

Synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are characterized by pathological accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn). Amongst the various approaches attempting to tackle the pathological features of synucleinopathies, antibody-based immunotherapy holds much promise. However, the large size of antibodies and corresponding difficulty in crossing the blood-brain barrier has limited development in this area. Read More

J Biol Chem 2020 05 18. Epub 2020 May 18.

University of Florida, United States.

α-synuclein (αsyn) is an abundant, brain neuronal protein that can misfold and polymerize to form toxic fibrils coalescing into pathologic inclusions in neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). These fibrils may induce further αsyn misfolding and propagation of pathologic fibrils in a prion-like process. It is unclear why αsyn initially misfolds, but a growing body of literature suggests a critical role of partial proteolytic processing resulting in various truncations of the highly charged and flexible carboxy-terminal region. Read More

Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 2020 May 18;88(5):337-348. Epub 2020 May 18.

A dementia syndrome is often associated with parkinsonoid extrapyramidal motor symptoms. Established consensus criteria allow the diagnosis of Lewy body dementia - however, this diagnosis based on clinical criteria does not exclude the diagnosis of dementia of different etiology. In everyday clinical practice, mixed forms with concomitant Alzheimer's disease or vascular encephalopathy do frequently occur. Read More

Cortex 2020 Apr 25;129:23-32. Epub 2020 Apr 25.

Department of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.

Background: Numerous studies have shown visuoperceptual/visuospatial deficits in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Visual texture recognition is also impaired in patients with DLB and AD. Although patients with DLB often exhibit visual misidentifications of objects, there are few studies on the relationships between visual texture recognition and viewpoints for object recognition. Read More

Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2020 May 18. Epub 2020 May 18.

Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.

: Advances in the understanding of the mechanisms that lead to Lewy body pathology in Parkinson disease (PD) have yielded rationales for tackling neurodegeneration associated with α-Synuclein (α-Syn) misfolding, aggregation and/or its related spreading. Immunization therapies targeting distinct α-Syn epitopes (conformational and linear) that aim to limit extracellular spread in the brain, are now in development. Completed and ongoing studies have enrolled early PD patients without considering individual clinical differences and assume a common pathogenetic mechanism of the disease. Read More

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2020 May 15:1-6. Epub 2020 May 15.

Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates,

Introduction: The Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III) (2012) is a brief cognitive battery that assesses five sub-domains of cognition (attention and orientation, memory, verbal fluency, language, and visuospatial abilities) which are commonly impaired in dementia.

Objective: We aimed to validate the Egyptian-Arabic ACE-III in dementia patients, and to provide cut-off scores for the ACE-III in diagnosing dementia in Egyptian-Arabic speakers.

Methods: We included 37 patients with dementia (Alzheimer's disease, n = 25, vascular dementia, n = 8, and dementia with Lewy bodies, n = 4) and 43 controls. Read More

J Parkinsons Dis 2020 May 15. Epub 2020 May 15.

Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Aarhus, Denmark.

Isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD) is a predictive marker of prodromal Lewy body disease. iRBD prevalence in the general population is around 1%, but it remains under-diagnosed, even though symptoms are alleviated by medication. We developed a population screening strategy and identified 16 iRBD patients by conducting telephone interviews and polysomnography examinations. Read More

Neuroimage Clin 2020 Apr 24;27:102267. Epub 2020 Apr 24.

Department of Neurology, Danish Dementia Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address:

2-[F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography (2-[F]FDG-PET) has an emerging supportive role in dementia diagnostic as distinctive metabolic patterns are specific for Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Previous studies have demonstrated that a data-driven decision model based on the disease state index (DSI) classifier supports clinicians in the differential diagnosis of dementia by using different combinations of diagnostic tests and biomarkers. Until now, this model has not included 2-[F]FDG-PET data. Read More

Neurosci Lett 2020 May 14:135051. Epub 2020 May 14.

University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. Electronic address:

Lewy body dementias are characterized by deposition of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) protein aggregates known as Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites in cortical regions, in addition to brainstem. These aggregates are thought to cause the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and other vulnerable cell types in patients, leading to parkinsonism. There is evidence from mice that localized overexpression of wild-type α-syn leads to dopaminergic cell death in the substantia nigra. Read More

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2020 May 13:104882. Epub 2020 May 13.

Department of Neurology, Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital, 1129 Nagaoka, Izunokuni, Shizuoka 410-2295, Japan.

Pisa syndrome is usually seen in patients with Alzheimer's disease treated with a cholinesterase inhibitor, dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson's disease, or atypical parkinsonism including multiple system atrophy. An 86-year-old woman presented with an acute onset of lateral flexion of her trunk to the left side, i.e. Read More

Front Aging Neurosci 2020 28;12:65. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

Division of Behavioral Neurology, Department of Neurology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.

Introduction: Freezing phenomenon is a striking feature of Parkinson's disease. However, it has never been studied in people with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). We designed a freezing of speech single questionnaire (FOSSQ) and investigated the frequency and association of freezing of speech (FOS) in patients with DLB and other types of dementia. Read More

Neurobiol Aging 2020 Apr 18. Epub 2020 Apr 18.

Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address:

Mutations in the sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 1 (SMPD1) gene were reported to be associated with Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the role of SMPD1 variants in isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). SMPD1 and its untranslated regions were sequenced using targeted next-generation sequencing in 959 iRBD patients and 1287 controls from European descent. Read More

Prog Neurobiol 2020 May 11:101822. Epub 2020 May 11.

Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Medicine, Cambridge, UK.

Lewy body dementia encompasses both dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia. Although both are common causes of dementia, they remain relatively understudied. The review summarises the clinico-pathologic characteristics of Lewy Body dementia and discusses the genetic and environmental evidence contributing to the risk of developing the condition. Read More

Clin Nucl Med 2020 May 11. Epub 2020 May 11.

Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of myocardial I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) in the diagnosis, clinical management, and differential diagnosis of Parkinson disease (PD) and non-PD parkinsonism.

Methods: The study enrolled 41 patients with parkinsonism. An initial diagnosis was reached after thorough clinical and imaging evaluation. Read More

Chin Med J (Engl) 2020 May 11. Epub 2020 May 11.

Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, China.

Parkinson disease (PD) is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder. Its main pathological mechanism is the selective degeneration and deletion of dopaminergic neurons in the dense part of the substantia nigra and the damage of dopaminergic neurons caused by the abnormal deposition of a Lewy body, leading to a decreased dopamine level. Positron emission computed tomography (PET)/single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a molecular imaging technology that can directly or indirectly reflect changes in molecular levels by using a specific tracer. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2020 May 13. Epub 2020 May 13.

Paracelsus Elena Klinik, Kassel, Germany.

The rapid eye movement sleep behavioural disorder (RBD) population is an ideal study population for testing disease-modifying treatments for synucleinopathies, since RBD represents an early prodromal stage of synucleinopathy when neuropathology may be more responsive to treatment. While clonazepam and melatonin are most commonly used as symptomatic treatments for RBD, clinical trials of symptomatic treatments are also needed to identify evidence-based treatments. A comprehensive framework for both disease-modifying and symptomatic treatment trials in RBD is described, including potential treatments in the pipeline, cost-effective participant recruitment and selection, study design, outcomes and dissemination of results. Read More

Neurobiol Aging 2020 Apr 15. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Section of Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy.

DCTN1 encodes the largest subunit of dynactin complex essential in the retrograde axonal transport and cytoplasmic transport of vesicles; mutations in DCTN1 have been reported predominantly in individuals with Perry syndrome and, recently, in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy. Our genetic screening of DCTN1 in 79 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy, 100 patients with multiple system atrophy, and 28 patients with dementia with Lewy bodies from Italy revealed only synonymous and intronic variants, suggesting that DCTN1 mutations do not have a key role in the development of atypical parkinsonism in the Italian population. Read More

eNeuro 2020 May 11. Epub 2020 May 11.

Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), 34127 Trieste, Italy;

Occurrence of Lewy bodies/Lewy neurites (LBs/LNs) containing misfolded fibrillar alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is one of the pathological hallmarks of memory impairment-linked synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). While it has been shown that brainstem LBs may contribute to motor symptoms, the neuropathological substrates for cognitive symptoms are still elusive. Here, recombinant mouse α-syn fibrils were bilaterally injected in the hippocampus of female Sprague-Dawley rats, which underwent behavioral testing for sensory-motor and spatial learning and memory abilities. Read More

Front Pharmacol 2020 23;11:356. Epub 2020 Apr 23.

Cajal Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.

Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) is a key protein involved in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology. PD is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neuronal cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the abnormal accumulation and aggregation of α-Syn in the form of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. More precisely, the aggregation of α-Syn is associated with the dysfunctionality and degeneration of neurons in PD. Read More

J Alzheimers Dis 2020 May 4. Epub 2020 May 4.

Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, UCLA School of Life Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Background: The cholinesterase inhibitor therapeutics (CI) approved for use in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are palliative for a limited time.

Objective: To examine the outcome of AD patients with add-on therapy of the omega-3 fatty acid drink Smartfish.

Methods: We performed a prospective study using Mini-Mental State Examination, amyloid-β (Aβ) phagocytosis blood assay, and RNA-seq of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 28 neurodegenerative patients who had failed their therapies, including 8 subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), 8 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 2 AD dementia, 1 frontotemporal dementia (FTD), 2 vascular cognitive impairment, and 3 dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) patients. Read More

J Nucl Med 2020 May 8. Epub 2020 May 8.

Department of Neurology, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, China.

Cerebral β-amyloid deposits and regional glucose metabolism assessed by positron emission tomography (PET) are used to distinguish between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementia syndromes. In the present multicenter study, we estimated the prevalence of β-amyloid deposits on PET imaging in a wide variety of dementia syndromes and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) within a memory clinic population. Of the 1193 consecutive patients with cognitive impairment (CI) who received combined F-AV45 and/or C-PIB PET, 960 were diagnosed with AD, 36 with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), 5 with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), 144 with MCI, 29with vascular dementia (VaD), 4 with corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and 15 with unclassifiable dementia. Read More

Alzheimers Dement 2020 May 8. Epub 2020 May 8.

Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Introduction: Several pharmacoepidemiological studies indicate that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) significantly increase the risk of dementia. Yet, the underlying mechanism is not known. Here, we report the discovery of an unprecedented mode of action of PPIs that explains how PPIs may increase the risk of dementia. Read More

Aging Clin Exp Res 2020 May 7. Epub 2020 May 7.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Leeds, UK.

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) belongs to the spectrum of Lewy body dementia (LBD) that also encompasses Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). It is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory decline, cognitive fluctuations, visual hallucinations, autonomic nervous system disturbance, REM sleep behavior disorder, and parkinsonism. Definite diagnosis can be established only through neuropathological confirmation of Lewy bodies' presence in brain tissue. Read More