January 1, 2026

@michaelokun

How about skin biopsies for Lewy Body Dementia? Check out this new paper that just dropped. Phosphorylated alpha synuclein is an abnormal form of a brain protein that clumps together and can be a hallmark of Lewy body diseases and ‘synucleinopathies.’ Gibbons and colleagues describe in a new paper in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology how detecting phosphorylated alpha synuclein in skin biopsies may help identify Lewy body dementia. Key Points: - Skin biopsies detected phosphorylated alpha synuclein in the vast majority of folks meeting clinical criteria for Lewy body dementia. - Nearly one third of folks w/ reduced cognitive screening scores, but no dementia diagnosis also showed abnormal alpha synuclein in the skin. - The amount of skin alpha synuclein correlated w/ cognitive impairment, motor features and quality of life measures. My take: This work helps us to better understand some of the biology involved in Lewy body dementia. Could a simple skin biopsy one day help us, especially when paired w/ other measures to reduce misdiagnosis and to shorten the long uncertain diagnostic journeys that many families face? Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Lewy body dementia can be tricky to diagnose early, especially using the symptoms alone. 2- A skin biopsy may reveal brain related pathology without needing invasive tests. 3- Abnormal findings in folks w/ mild cognitive changes raise important questions about early or hidden disease. 4- Better diagnosis could translate to safer care, including avoiding medications that can worsen symptoms. 5- Biomarkers like this especially when paired w/ other measures could one day change how health care providers identify, track and study Lewy body diseases https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acn3.70291 #michaelokun #fixelinstitute #parkinson