Review
Clinical Neurology
Rotem Iris Orad, Tamara Shiner
Summary: Dementia with Lewy bodies presents a diagnostic challenge due to clinical overlap with other neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson's disease dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Neuroimaging plays a central role in improving diagnostic accuracy and management of this disorder.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Melissa J. Armstrong
Summary: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a specific presentation of a pathological alpha-synucleinopathy, with recent advances including updated diagnostic criteria and recognition of prodromal states. Research shows common co-occurrence of Alzheimer's disease pathology in individuals with DLB, impacting biomarker use and progression. Identifying biomarkers and effective therapies remain key areas of focus for future research in DLB.
THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Stefania Pezzoli, Annachiara Cagnin, Cinzia Busse, Giovanni Zorzi, Federica Fragiacomo, Oliver Bandmann, Annalena Venneri
Summary: VH is common in DLB and has been associated with cognitive alterations. Impairments in visual construction/perception, attention, and visual memory are present in DLB patients with VH. Baseline immediate prose memory performance predicts future development of VH.
Review
Cell Biology
Augoustos Tsamourgelis, Peter Swann, Leonidas Chouliaras, John T. O'Brien
Summary: Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) is the second most common neurodegenerative dementia. Proteomics has revealed protein dysregulation in the brain and peripheral tissues in DLB, which shares common features with other dementias but also has unique protein signatures. Identifying novel protein targets and diagnostic biomarkers could lead to new therapeutics and improved clinical trials for DLB.
AGEING RESEARCH REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Mami Takemoto, Toru Yamashita, Yasuyuki Ohta, Koh Tadokoro, Yoshio Omote, Ryuta Morihara, Koji Abe
Summary: Patients with dementia with Lewy bodies have a higher total number and prevalence of cerebral microbleeds compared to those with Parkinson's disease, with different common locations. Tc-99m-ECD SPECT subtraction imaging shows lower cerebral blood flow in the posterior cingulate gyrus of DLB patients.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alberto Jaramillo-Jimenez, Lasse M. Giil, Diego A. Tovar-Rios, Miguel German Borda, Daniel Ferreira, Kolbjorn Bronnick, Ketil Oppedal, Dag Aarsland
Summary: The study found that larger amygdala volume in patients with mild dementia is associated with an increased likelihood of developing depression symptoms, a decreased likelihood of agitation/aggression, and a slower rate of cognitive decline over a 5-year period.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Cecilia Boccalini, Nicolas Nicastro, Debora Elisa Peretti, Silvia Paola Caminiti, Daniela Perani, Valentina Garibotto
Summary: This study aimed to assess whether sex can influence neurotransmitter systems in patients with probable DLB. The results showed that females patients displayed lower I-123-FP-CIT binding and more extensive regional and spatial connectivity impairments compared to males.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Elijah Mak, Nicolas Nicastro, Maura Malpetti, George Savulich, Ajenthan Surendranathan, Negin Holland, Luca Passamonti, P. Simon Jones, Stephen F. Carter, Li Su, Young T. Hong, Tim D. Fryer, Guy B. Williams, Franklin Aigbirhio, James B. Rowe, John T. O'Brien
Summary: The study examined the distribution of tau burden in patients with DLB and AD, revealing a lower tau deposition in DLB patients compared to AD patients. The findings suggest that tau may interact synergistically with other pathologic processes to aggravate disease severity in DLB, as indicated by its associations with cognitive impairment.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2021)
Article
Hematology
Renzo Manara, Alice Dalla Torre, Marta Lucchetta, Mario Ermani, Angela Favaro, Claudio Baracchini, Silvia Favaretto, Federica Viaro, Vania Munaretto, Stefano Sartori, Sara Ponticorvo, Andrea G. Russo, Alessandra Biffi, Laura Sainati, Raffaella Colombatti
Summary: Studies have shown that sickle cell disease affects the development and tuning of the visual cortex in children, leading to anatomical and functional changes even in the absence of retinopathy. This sets the basis for future research to determine if these changes can predict visual impairment in adulthood, serve as biomarkers of disease progression, or indicate treatment response.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Han Zhu, Hao Lu, Fei Wang, Shuai Liu, Zhihong Shi, Jinghuan Gan, Xiaoshan Du, Yaqi Yang, Daibin Li, Lichen Wang, Yong Ji
Summary: There is clinical overlap between dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), but DLB patients show relatively preserved medial temporal lobe, similar frontal and parietal atrophy to AD, and lighter white matter hyperintensity compared to AD. The combination of multiple visual rating scales may provide a novel approach for the early diagnosis of DLB.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Sandro Iannaccone, Elise Houdayer, Alfio Spina, Gianluca Nocera, Federica Alemanno
Summary: This study investigated the use of electroencephalography quantified with statistical pattern recognition (qEEG-SPR) as a tool for diagnosing dementia and differentiating dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The results showed that qEEG-SPR had high sensitivity and specificity for identifying dementia and DLB. It is a non-invasive, low-cost, and environmentally friendly method that can be implemented in healthcare settings.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Jay Amin, Daniel Erskine, Paul C. Donaghy, Ajenthan Surendranathan, Peter Swann, Amy P. Kunicki, Delphine Boche, Clive Holmes, Ian G. McKeith, John T. O'Brien, Jessica L. Teeling, Alan J. Thomas
Summary: This article provides a review of the role of inflammation in Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The research suggests an increase in cerebral and peripheral inflammation in the early stages of DLB, which decreases as the disease progresses. Alpha-synuclein is found to directly promote inflammation, and the presence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) co-pathology contributes to the profile of neuroinflammation in DLB. Further longitudinal studies are recommended to enhance our understanding of the disease's pathogenesis and develop a composite biomarker for DLB diagnosis and identification of new therapeutic targets.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Daniel Ferreira, Zuzana Nedelska, Jonathan Graff-Radford, Scott A. Przybelski, Timothy G. Lesnick, Christopher G. Schwarz, Hugo Botha, Matthew L. Senjem, Julie A. Fields, David S. Knopman, Rodolfo Savica, Tanis J. Ferman, Neill R. Graff-Radford, Val J. Lowe, Clifford R. Jack, Ronald C. Petersen, Afina W. Lemstra, Marleen van de Beek, Frederik Barkhof, Frederic Blanc, Paulo Loureiro de Sousa, Nathalie Philippi, Benjamin Cretin, Catherine Demuynck, Jakub Hort, Ketil Oppedal, Bradley F. Boeve, Dag Aarsland, Eric Westman, Kejal Kantarci
Summary: The study found that cerebrovascular disease is associated with gray matter neurodegeneration in DLB patients, which may have implications for the treatment of DLB.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Giovanni Zorzi, Michel Thiebaut de Schotten, Renzo Manara, Cinzia Busse, Maurizio Corbetta, Annachiara Cagnin
Summary: The study found that patients with visual hallucinations in dementia with Lewy bodies showed alterations in the microstructural and functional connectivity of the ventral fiber tracts in the right hemisphere, which were associated with the severity of visual hallucinations and performance in visual attention tasks.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Jon B. Toledo, Carla Abdelnour, Rimona S. Weil, Daniel Ferreira, Federico Rodriguez-Porcel, Andrea Pilotto, Kathryn A. Wyman-Chick, Michel J. Grothe, Joseph P. M. Kane, Angela Taylor, Arvid Rongve, Sonja Scholz, James B. Leverenz, Bradley F. Boeve, Dag Aarsland, Ian G. McKeith, Simon Lewis, Iracema Leroi, John P. Taylor
Summary: Dementia with Le bodies (DLB) is clinically characterized by visual hallucinations, fluctuations, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavioral disorder, and parkinsonism. However, neuropathological studies have shown the coexistence of Alzheimer's disease, TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), and cerebrovascular pathologies in DLB cases. These co-pathologies should be taken into consideration in clinical trials for DLB individuals.
ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Kwok-Shing Chan, Sai Man Cheung, Nicholas Senn, Ehab Husain, Yazan Masannat, Steven Heys, Jiabao He
Summary: This study explored the spatial distribution of peri-tumoural lipid composition in breast cancer patients and found that it is associated with tumour cellular differentiation and proliferation. Peri-tumoural lipid composition imaging may have potential for treatment planning and monitoring in patients with breast cancer.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jack L. Jennings, Luis R. Peraza, Mark Baker, Kai Alter, John-Paul Taylor, Roman Bauer
Summary: The combination of both closed eyes (EC) and open eyes (EO) quantitative EEG features improves overall classification accuracy when diagnosing dementia types in older adults. Additionally, healthy controls show a distinct change in dominant frequency variance between EC and EO states.
ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Sarah Richardson, Rachael A. Lawson, Annabel Price, John-Paul Taylor
Summary: This article describes the challenges in clinical diagnosis and management of Lewy body disease (LBD) and delirium. Distinguishing delirium from LBD is particularly challenging as they share common clinical characteristics. The under and over diagnosis of delirium, as well as the under and over treatment of symptoms, can compromise the care and safety of individuals with LBD. Clinicians currently have a limited set of evidence-based management options for delirium in the context of an LBD diagnosis.
ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA
(2023)
Review
Psychiatry
Mark J. Rapoport, Justin Nathaniel Chee, Thadshagini Prabha, Jamie Dow, Ian Gillespie, Sjaan Koppel, Judith L. Charlton, Desmond O'Neill, Paul C. Donaghy, Angela Onkay Ho, John-Paul Taylor, Mark Tant
Summary: This systematic review examined the risk of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) for drivers with psychiatric disorders. The findings showed that 15 studies reported an increased risk of MVC associated with psychiatric disorders, while 9 studies did not find such an association. However, the available evidence is of mixed quality and does not support a blanket restriction on all drivers with psychiatric disorders. Therefore, an individualized approach is still recommended for managing this issue.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY-REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Daniel J. Tozer, Robin B. Brown, Jessica Walsh, Young T. Hong, Guy B. Williams, John T. O'Brien, Franklin I. Aigbirhio, Tim D. Fryer, Hugh S. Markus
Summary: Recent studies have found evidence of increased microglial activation, indicating inflammation, in cerebral small vessel disease. However, it is unclear whether these areas of neuroinflammation progress to tissue damage. This study showed that white matter destined to become white matter hyperintensities already exhibited signs of altered inflammation at baseline.
Review
Clinical Neurology
John T. O'Brien, Leonidas Chouliaras, Janet Sultana, John-Paul Taylor, Clive Ballard
Summary: Drug repositioning and repurposing have proven effective in discovering new treatments for diseases, including Lewy body dementia. In this study, several promising compounds were reviewed and prioritized through an International Delphi consensus study. Ambroxol emerged as the top-ranked repurposed agent, and six additional agents were identified as worthy of clinical trials. Phase II or III clinical trials for these compounds in Lewy body dementia are now recommended.
ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Paul C. C. Donaghy, Calum Hamilton, Rory Durcan, Sarah Lawley, Sally Barker, Joanna Ciafone, Nicola Barnett, Kirsty Olsen, Michael Firbank, Gemma Roberts, Jim Lloyd, Louise M. M. Allan, Ranjan Saha, Ian G. G. McKeith, John T. T. O'Brien, John-Paul Taylor, Alan J. J. Thomas
Summary: Through the investigation of patients with mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB), it was found that MCI-LB patients have more symptoms, and a 10-point symptom scale can effectively differentiate MCI-LB and MCI-AD. These findings are important for clinicians to diagnose and treat MCI.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Anne D. Kershenbaum, Annabel C. Price, Rudolf N. Cardinal, Shanquan Chen, James M. Fitzgerald, Jonathan Lewis, Sinead Moylett, John T. O'Brien
Summary: Previous studies have shown reduced survival in Lewy body dementia (LBD) compared to Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the reasons for this are not known. This study aimed to identify cause of death categories accounting for the reduced survival in LBD. The findings indicated that PDD and DLB patients had higher hazard ratios for death compared to AD patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Michael J. Firbank, Daniel Collerton, Katrina daSilva Morgan, Julia Schumacher, Paul C. Donaghy, John T. O'Brien, Alan Thomas, John-Paul Taylor
Summary: Our research findings further support the presence of dysfunctional connectivity in the visual and attentional networks in individuals with LBD and visual hallucinations.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Leonidas Chouliaras, John T. O'Brien
Summary: Dementia is a major cause of disability and death worldwide, with no disease modifying treatment available for common types such as Alzheimer's disease, Vascular dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, and Frontotemporal dementia. Early and accurate diagnosis of dementia subtype is crucial for improving clinical care and developing better treatments. Structural and molecular imaging methods, particularly multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography imaging (PET), have provided insight into the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative dementias and are increasingly being used for early and accurate diagnosis. However, there are still gaps in imaging tracers for certain protein abnormalities, and more extensive diagnostic imaging studies are needed.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Rory Durcan, Gemma Roberts, Calum A. Hamilton, Paul C. Donaghy, Kim Howe, Sean J. Colloby, Louise M. Allan, Michael Firbank, Sarah Lawley, George S. Petrides, Jim J. Lloyd, John-Paul Taylor, John T. O'Brien, Alan J. Thomas
Summary: This study aimed to investigate whether repeat 123[I]-N-(3-fluoropropyl)-2 β-carboxymethoxy-3 β-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane (FP-CIT) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can identify progressive dopaminergic loss in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB). The results showed that progressive dopaminergic loss in the striatum is detectable using 123[I]-FP-CIT SPECT in MCI-LB at a group level. However, individual change in striatal 123[I]-FP-CIT uptake seems to be of limited diagnostic value in clinical practice.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Laura M. Wright, Paul C. Donaghy, David J. Burn, John -Paul Taylor, John T. O'Brien, Alison J. Yarnall, Fiona E. Matthews, Michael J. Firbank, Alan J. Thomas, Rachael A. Lawson
Summary: There is a limited longitudinal relationship between neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and cognitive decline in prodromal Lewy body dementias (LBD). Core neuropsychiatric symptoms are not strongly associated with cognition, suggesting different underlying neuropathological mechanisms.
PARKINSONISM & RELATED DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Silvia De Francesco, Claudio Crema, Damiano Archetti, Cristina Muscio, Robert I. Reid, Anna Nigri, Maria Grazia Bruzzone, Fabrizio Tagliavini, Raffaele Lodi, Egidio D'Angelo, Brad Boeve, Kejal Kantarci, Michael Firbank, John-Paul Taylor, Pietro Tiraboschi, Alberto Redolfi
Summary: This study developed and interpreted a machine learning algorithm for differential diagnosis of different types of dementia. The algorithm achieved good performance by using clinical and MRI information, and has the potential to assist physicians in clinical diagnosis.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Weijie Huang, Jianmin Zeng, Lina Jia, Dajiang Zhu, John O'Brien, Craig Ritchie, Ni Shu, Li Su
Summary: Genetic risk factors such as APOE ε4 and MAPT A allele are associated with changes in amyloid and tau pathways and cortical morphology in young healthy adults. Machine learning models showed that using all cortical features could accurately classify individuals with genetic risks of dementia. APOE ε4 carriers exhibited a more convoluted and thinner cortex across the cerebral cortex, while MAPT A allele carriers showed similar patterns in regions vulnerable to early tau pathology. There was a synergetic effect between APOE ε4 and MAPT A allele, with carriers of both risk factors showing the most deviation from the typical cortical pattern.
BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
