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Many people with Lewy body diseases (LBDs) such as Parkinson’s ultimately develop dementia, and many have Aβ plaques and tau tangles. Do they have two diseases at the same time, or is this combination of scourges a unique entity unto itself? At the virtual AAT-AD/PD meeting, held April 2 to 5, researchers reported that people with PD who carry genetic risk variants for Alzheimer’s disease were more likely to become cognitively impaired. Similarly, AD variants predicted which PD patients harbored Aβ and tau proteopathies in their brains. In people with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Aβ plaques seemed to worsen cognitive decline more than tau tangles did, suggesting an etiology distinct from AD. Although the interactions between α-synuclein, Aβ, and tau still need more clarification, some suggested that therapies targeting Aβ might benefit people with Lewy body diseases.
Read this article in full on the Alz Forum – https://www.alzforum.org/news/community-news/av-lewy-body-disease-two-diseases-once-or-another-beast-entirely
Alzheimer's Association
Dementia Researcher
