Measuring iron in the brain can point to dementia.
Written by Timothy Huzar on March 6, 2020.
Researchers have discovered a way of detecting the progression of dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease by measuring iron deposits in their brains.
Measuring iron in the brain can point to dementia.
Written by Timothy Huzar on March 6, 2020.
Researchers have discovered a way of detecting the progression of dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease by measuring iron deposits in their brains.
Brain iron deposition is linked with cognitive severity in Parkinson’s disease | Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/...
They were looking for dementia in PD patients which for most PD patients is seldom the critical issue until the later stages of PD where it is often described as a "Lewy body" form (misfolded alpha-synuclein) or more frequently a PD form.
Sometimes, Lewy body dementia is called "parkinsonism" which confuses almost everyone, or to further confuse, a distinction is often made between LB dementia and PD dementia.
Apparently, for some medical researchers, with LB dementia the dementia comes first. With PD dementia it comes later. I don't know what they call it when both dementia and PD come at the same time. Perhaps PD brain fog.
The critical question with this study raises is --- what the heck causes excessive brain iron accumulation? The answer to that question isn't that simple as they feel it is all about "Brain iron accumulation is seen with age, in part due to increased blood-brain-barrier permeability, especially affecting the basal ganglia."
So, almost everyone who has PD is susceptible to dementia with age?
Sharon
Interesting