title: The cognitive profile and CSF biomarkers in dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) may be viewed as different points on a continuum reflecting the regional burden and distribution of pathology. An important clinical consideration is overlapping Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, since it has been reported that associated AD pathology in DLB shortens survival and leads to a more rapid cognitive decline. We aimed to investigate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and the associated cognitive profile in DLB and PDD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinically diagnosed DLB (n=47) and PDD (n=17) patients from a clinical follow-up programme were investigated. All performed mini mental state examination (MMSE) and went through lumbar puncture at baseline. CSF concentrations of total τ (T-τ), τ phosphorylated at threonine 181 (P-τ(181) ) and the 42 amino acid isoform of amyloid β, Aβ42 were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant differences in T-τ and Aβ42, with a higher level of T-τ and a lower level of Aβ42 in DLB compared to PDD. The combination of T-τ with Aβ42 showed better discrimination between DLB and PDD than either of the measures alone. In DLB, a CSF profile more like the one seen in AD was significantly correlated with worse performance on the orientation and memory of the MMSE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The correlation suggests a possible link between a higher degree of AD pathology and a profile of more temporal disabilities on cognitive tests in DLB. This might aid in identifying a subgroup of patients with a greater burden of AD pathology in a clinical setting and could have important implications for prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric clinic, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zetterberg
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Minthon
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blennow
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Londos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000523:psychology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D013912:Threonine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D013912:Threonine