Shared from parkinson.org.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is known primarily for its movement-related symptoms, but it can also lead to dementia, a devastating decline in cognitive abilities. Nearly half of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s develop dementia within 10 years of their Parkinson’s diagnosis. Researchers are now looking closer at what happens in the brain early in the disease to understand why some people with Parkinson’s develop dementia while others don’t
A new study, published in Brain, focused on two key factors: brain inflammation (also called neuroinflammation) and the buildup of a protein called tau. Neuroinflammation, an immune response within the brain that is largely protective when working correctly, can release harmful chemicals that can damage or kill neurons when overactive, impairing communication between brain cells essential for cognitive processes. Tau protein, when misfolded and accumulated, forms tangles that disrupt how brain cells transport nutrients, preventing them from functioning properly and eventually leading to cell death.
Both processes can contribute to the progressive loss of brain cells and synaptic connections and may ultimately lead to the cognitive decline characteristic of dementia. However, it was not known to what degree these factors were linked to dementia risk in people with early-stage Parkinson’s.