The Significance of α-Synuclein, Amyloid-β and Tau Pathologies in Parkinsn's Disease Progression and Related Dementia

Background: Dementia is one of the milestones of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), with its neuropathological substrate still being a matter of debate, particularly regarding its potential mechanistic implications. Objective: The aim of this study was to review the relative importance of Lewy-related alpha-synuclein and Alzheimer's tau and amyloid-beta (A beta) pathologies in disease progression and dementia in PD. Methods: We reviewed studies conducted at the Queen Square Brain Bank, Institute of Neurology, University College London, using large PD cohorts. Results: Cortical Lewy- and Alzheimer-type pathologies are associated with milestones of poorer prognosis and with non-tremor predominance, which have been, in turn, linked to dementia. The combination of these pathologies is the most robust neuropathological substrate of PD-related dementia, with cortical A beta burden determining a faster progression to dementia. Conclusion: The shared relevance of these pathologies in PD progression and dementia is in line with experimental data suggesting synergism between a-synuclein, tau and A beta and with studies testing these proteins as disease biomarkers, hence favouring the eventual testing of therapeutic strategies targeting these proteins in PD. (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel