The ‘LewyPro’ study is looking to improve diagnosis of Dementia with Lewy Bodies, a serious condition.

Aims of the Study

Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) is the second most common cause of dementia in older people, after Alzheimer’s Disease.
However, it is not yet well understood in the medical community, and can frequently be misdiagnosed as other dementia conditions.

We know that DLB can start to develop years before it fully appears in a person, in what doctors call the ‘prodromal period’.
During this time, some symptoms can appear, and changes to the brain occur as a result of the disease.

This study aims to examine these symptoms and changes, and learn more about them so doctors can detect and diagnose the condition much earlier.

How does it work?

The study is seeking a hundred volunteers who have Mild Cognitive Impairment – which is often the initial stages of dementia – and prodromal signs of DLB.

They must be over sixty, able to consent to research and capable of attending assessments in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Volunteers will receive a cognitive assessment, give samples of blood and spinal fluid, and undertake a brain scan.

These assessments will be repeated each year for two more years. Interested volunteers should sign up with ‘Join dementia research’ to see if they are eligible for this and other studies.