Objectives: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder, and the identification of reliable biomarkers in its prodromal phase (pro-DLB) remains challenging. As non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers are still considered potential, this ongoing study aims to characterize brain alterations in pro-DLB compared to the healthy population and prodromal Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with a specific focus on the distinct clinical presentations of pro-DLB: mild cognitive impairment (MCI-DLB) and psychiatric onset (PSY). Methods: We recruited 54 patients (20 MCI-DLB, 20 MCI-AD, 14 PSY) and 15 healthy controls (HC). All participants underwent structural and functional MRI. A preliminary Surface-Based Morphometry (SBM) analysis was performed using CAT12 within SPM12. Cortical thickness (CTh) differences among groups were assessed via one-way ANOVA. Results: SBM analysis revealed no significant CTh reductions in either MCI-DLB or PSY patients relative to HC, with similar CTh profiles between the two pro-DLB phenotypes. In contrast, MCI-AD showed widespread CTh reductions compared to HC. A relative preservation of CTh was observed in MCI-DLB and PSY patients compared to MCI-AD patients in the bilateral parahippocampal gyrus and the right frontal pole. Furthermore, MCI-AD patients exhibited reduced CTh in the left supramarginal gyrus compared to MCI-DLB patients, and in the right rostral middle frontal cortex and left middle temporal gyrus compared to PSY patients. Conclusions: This preliminary analysis suggests that CTh alone may not be sufficient to distinguish pro-DLB from the HC or to differentiate between pro-DLB subtypes. However, the pattern of relative CTh preservation observed in pro-DLB compared to MCI-AD may represent a supportive biomarker for differentiating these clinical populations, although it requires integration with more robust biomarkers to enhance diagnostic accuracy.
Identifying early structural biomakers of prodromal dementia with Lewy bodies. Preliminary evidence from voxel-based morphometry / Conti, Desirée; Zazzaro, Giulia; Panigutti, Massimiliano; Bechi Gabrielli, Giulia; Serrentino, Marco; Sepe Monti, Micaela; Talarico, Giuseppina; Canevelli, Marco; Bruno, Giuseppe; Galati, Gaspare; D’Antonio, Fabrizia. - (2026). (Intervento presentato al convegno International Conference of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases and Related Neurological Disorders (AD/PD) 2026 tenutosi a Copenhagen; Denmark).
Identifying early structural biomakers of prodromal dementia with Lewy bodies. Preliminary evidence from voxel-based morphometry
Desirée ContiPrimo
;Giulia Zazzaro;Massimiliano Panigutti;Giulia Bechi Gabrielli;Marco Serrentino;Micaela Sepe Monti;Giuseppina Talarico;Marco Canevelli;Giuseppe Bruno;Gaspare Galati;Fabrizia D’AntonioUltimo
2026
Abstract
Objectives: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder, and the identification of reliable biomarkers in its prodromal phase (pro-DLB) remains challenging. As non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers are still considered potential, this ongoing study aims to characterize brain alterations in pro-DLB compared to the healthy population and prodromal Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with a specific focus on the distinct clinical presentations of pro-DLB: mild cognitive impairment (MCI-DLB) and psychiatric onset (PSY). Methods: We recruited 54 patients (20 MCI-DLB, 20 MCI-AD, 14 PSY) and 15 healthy controls (HC). All participants underwent structural and functional MRI. A preliminary Surface-Based Morphometry (SBM) analysis was performed using CAT12 within SPM12. Cortical thickness (CTh) differences among groups were assessed via one-way ANOVA. Results: SBM analysis revealed no significant CTh reductions in either MCI-DLB or PSY patients relative to HC, with similar CTh profiles between the two pro-DLB phenotypes. In contrast, MCI-AD showed widespread CTh reductions compared to HC. A relative preservation of CTh was observed in MCI-DLB and PSY patients compared to MCI-AD patients in the bilateral parahippocampal gyrus and the right frontal pole. Furthermore, MCI-AD patients exhibited reduced CTh in the left supramarginal gyrus compared to MCI-DLB patients, and in the right rostral middle frontal cortex and left middle temporal gyrus compared to PSY patients. Conclusions: This preliminary analysis suggests that CTh alone may not be sufficient to distinguish pro-DLB from the HC or to differentiate between pro-DLB subtypes. However, the pattern of relative CTh preservation observed in pro-DLB compared to MCI-AD may represent a supportive biomarker for differentiating these clinical populations, although it requires integration with more robust biomarkers to enhance diagnostic accuracy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
