Scientists have made an important discovery that could change how doctors detect and treat one of the most common causes of dementia.
Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have developed a new way to identify Lewy body disease while a person is still alive, something that was not possible until recently.
Lewy body disease is not as well known as Alzheimer’s disease, but it is one of the leading causes of dementia. It is linked to conditions such as Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease. These conditions can affect memory, thinking, movement, and behavior. Over time, they can make daily life very difficult.
The disease is caused by the buildup of abnormal protein clumps in the brain. These clumps are called Lewy bodies. As they spread, they interfere with how brain cells work and communicate with each other. This leads to the symptoms seen in patients.
In the past, doctors could only confirm Lewy body disease after a person had died, by examining their brain during an autopsy. This made it very hard to diagnose the disease early or to test new treatments in living patients.
Now, this new study offers a breakthrough. The researchers developed a test that looks at cerebrospinal fluid, which is the clear fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. This fluid can contain traces of the harmful proteins linked to Lewy body disease.
In their study, the scientists tested more than 1,100 people who did not show any signs of memory loss or movement problems. Surprisingly, they found that nearly 10 percent of these people already had signs of Lewy body disease. This suggests that the disease may begin many years before symptoms appear.
This finding is very important because it opens the door to early diagnosis. If doctors can detect the disease before symptoms start, they may be able to slow its progression or delay its effects.
The study also revealed another interesting clue. People who tested positive for Lewy body disease often had problems with their sense of smell, even though they felt healthy in other ways. This suggests that loss of smell could be an early warning sign.
Because of this, researchers suggest that simple smell tests could be used as a first step in screening. For example, people over the age of 60 could take a smell test. If they show signs of reduced smell ability, doctors could then perform more detailed tests, such as checking cerebrospinal fluid.
Early detection is important because new treatments are being developed. Scientists are working on drugs that may slow down or even stop the disease. These treatments are likely to be more effective if given early, before too much damage has occurred in the brain.
The researchers also found that some people with Lewy body disease showed signs of Alzheimer’s disease at the same time. This overlap may help explain why symptoms can vary between patients and why the disease can progress at different speeds.
Although this discovery is very promising, the researchers note that more work is needed. For example, developing a simple blood test would make diagnosis even easier. However, this is challenging because the protein signals are much weaker in blood than in cerebrospinal fluid.
Even so, this study represents a major step forward in understanding and detecting Lewy body disease. It gives hope that in the future, doctors will be able to diagnose the disease earlier and offer better care to patients.
The study was published in the scientific journal Nature Medicine and highlights how advances in research can lead to real improvements in people’s lives.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about Vitamin B9 deficiency linked to higher dementia risk, and cranberries could help boost memory.
For more health information, please see recent studies about heartburn drugs that could increase risk of dementia, and results showing this MIND diet may protect your cognitive function, prevent dementia.
Copyright © 2026 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
