Tests Show Promise for Diagnosing Parkinson's and Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Summary: Doctors have a hard time diagnosing Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies because there isn't one simple test. But scientists just found an exciting new clue! They discovered that a protein called DDC, which helps the brain make dopamine, shows up at much higher levels in people with these diseases.

By testing spinal fluid, researchers found they could spot Parkinson's and Lewy body dementia with up to 97% accuracy. It even tells these diseases apart from Alzheimer's! While the test isn't at your doctor's office just yet and is better at confirming a diagnosis rather than tracking it, it's a huge step toward catching these conditions earlier and getting people the right treatment faster.

For more details, see rssapp-parkinson-org-blog at parkinson.org/blog/science-news/DDC-as-a-biomarker (opens in new tab)