In vivo microglial activation and neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia with Lewy bodies

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H06254
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: bunai tomoyasu 浜松医科大学, 光尖端医学教育研究センター, 特任助教 (20754188)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-08-28 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: レビー小体型認知症 / ミクログリア活性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The presence of misfolded proteins such as alpha-synuclein, key players in the pathogenesis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), can lead to activation of microglia in the brain. Indeed, microglia play a central role in neuroinflammation in the brain, the neuroinflammation is reported to relate to the neuronal degeneration in DLB. We report microglial activation in DLB patients using PET with [11C] DPA713, and examine the relationship between microglial activation and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
The DLB patients showed a significant elevation of [11C]DPA713 BPND in the whole brain, especially in the occipital regions. Correlations between NPI subscore (hallucination) and [11C]DPA713 BPND were found in the occipital, temporo-parietal cortical regions.

Free Research Field

核医学