Dementia With Lewy Bodies may be Classified Based on Its Early Stages

Dementia with Lewy bodies can be pathologically classified into two different disease types - the notion has been reinforced with new information on the early stages of the disease as per a study at the University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, published in the Acta Neuropathologica journal.

One of the second most common neurodegenerative diseases after Alzheimer's disease is Dementia with Lewy bodies. It is a progressive memory disorder that has features associated with both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

‘Dementia with Lewy bodies can be pathologically classified into two different disease types. This earlier proved notion has been reinforced with new information on the early stages of the disease in a new study. ’

The pathological accumulation of Lewy bodies that contain the alpha-synuclein protein is found in the limbic system of the brain - both in the cerebral cortex and the brainstem. It affects millions of people globally.

Reinforced Notion

Earlier (2 years ago) the study team had demonstrated that pathological changes of dementia with Lewy bodies occur in two different forms. One type - the changes progress upwards from the brainstem, while the other disease type originates in the amygdala.

"We continued our studies, focusing on the olfactory bulb in the brain. The olfactory bulb is considered one of the first brain regions where alpha-synuclein accumulations relating to dementia with Lewy bodies occur," says Liisa Myllykangas, a neuropathologist, and clinical instructor.

This follow-up study enrolled 291 unique Finnish population-based neuropathological datasets. It was found that the different alpha-synuclein accumulation patterns in the olfactory bulb have a strong association with both the earlier proposed two disease types.

The study thereby states that the first changes caused by dementia with Lewy bodies take place in the olfactory bulb in persons whose disease progresses to the amygdala and the rest of the limbic system at an early stage.

On the other hand, the onset of the other disease typically occurs in the brainstem, spreading later to the olfactory bulb. These findings reinforce the notion that dementia with Lewy bodies can be classified into two different disease types.

Source: Medindia