Getting to the heart of Lewy body disease

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Abstract

Early identification of neurodegenerative diseases before extensive neuronal loss or disabling symptoms have occurred is imperative for effective use of disease-modifying therapies. Emerging data indicate that central Lewy body diseases — Parkinson disease and dementia with Lewy bodies — can begin in the peripheral nervous system, opening up a therapeutic window before central involvement. In this issue of the JCI, Goldstein et al. report that cardiac 18F-dopamine positron emission tomography reveals lower activity selectively in individuals with several self-reported Parkinson disease risk factors who later develop Parkinson disease or dementia with Lewy bodies. Accurately identifying which at-risk individuals will develop central Lewy body disease will optimize early patient selection for disease-modifying therapies.

Authors

Anna E. Goodheart, Craig Blackstone