Blood Biomarkers May Predict Risk Of Developing DLB In Patients With Idiopathic REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, Study Finds

Parkinson’s News Today (3/18, Lobo) reports a study suggests that among people with idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), blood biomarkers “associated with dementia may help identify those at risk of developing Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB).” Researchers found that “blood levels of two proteins – amyloid-beta 42/40 ratio and p-tau 181 – significantly linked, respectively, with a 10 and 15 times higher risk of DLB.” Researchers concluded the biomarkers “can predict [DLB] outcome in iRBD. In certain iRBD patients, plasma markers of amyloid-[beta] and/or tau can predict whether patients will ultimately develop primary dementia or parkinsonism.” This is because “patients’ cognitive performance, including memory, attention, and executive function, was closely linked to p-tau 181 blood levels.” The study was published in the journal Brain.