New Research to Help Diagnose LBD

During May 2007, a few research papers were published that could help doctors diagnose or predict Lewy body disease.

Violent Sleep Disorder Linked to LBD

Mayo Clinic researchers and their collaborators discovered a correlation between an extreme form of sleep disorder and the eventual onset of LBD or Parkinson's disease. The sleep disorder is called rapid eye movement sleep (REM) behavior disorder (RBD). People who have RBD (usually older men) strike out violently, often yelling, when they enter REM sleep. The researchers found that all developed Lewy bodies and had a high probability of later developing Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's disease, or multiple system atrophy (a Parkinson's-like disorder).

RBD can also be caused by sleep apnea. When apnea is not the cause, the RBD may precede the LBD or Parkinson's by years or decades. Thus, RBD may be an early sign of an evolving neurodegenerative disease. However, it does not appear that everyone who gets LBD has RBD first, and not everyone with RBD gets LBD.

Find out more from the press release and the scientific abstract from the journal Brain.

Blood Test for Parkinson's Disease

Researchers at Lancaster University, UK, have discovered that alpha-synuclein can be detected in the blood. Alpha-synuclein is a protein found inside Lewy bodies, which lead to the development of Parkinson's disease and LBD. The researchers are now trying to create a blood test for diagnosing Parkinson's disease at an early stage. Hopefully, their findings will apply to LBD too.

More information is in the press release.

Personality Changes Distinguish LBD from Alzheimer's Disease

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine followed people with LBD and Alzheimer's disease for an average of 5 years. At first evaluation, those with LBD were twice as likely to exhibit passive personality changes: diminished emotional response, disinterest in hobbies, repetitive behaviors, and growing apathy. Near the time of deah, 75% of those with LBD showed passive personality changes, compared with 45% of those with Alzheimer's.

Find out more from the press release and the scientific abstract from the journal Neurology.