Older adults with Parkinson’s disease have increased brain amyloid without dementia
“We believe that our findings will incentivize further studies to identify the best disease-modifying therapy for early PD without dementia.”
2025-09-16
(Press-News.org)
“We believe that our findings will incentivize further studies to identify the best disease-modifying therapy for early PD without dementia.”
BUFFALO, NY — September 16, 2025 — A new research paper was published in Volume 17, Issue 8 of Aging-US on August 6, 2025, titled “Age-related trends in amyloid positivity in Parkinson’s disease without dementia.”
In this study, led by first author Keiko Hatano and corresponding author Masashi Kameyama from the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology in Japan, researchers found that patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosed in their 80s showed a significantly higher rate of amyloid positivity—an indicator associated with Alzheimer’s disease—compared to those diagnosed at a younger age. Importantly, none of the participants had dementia. These findings suggest that older patients with PD may face a greater risk of future cognitive decline and could benefit from early screening for Alzheimer’s-related brain changes.
Amyloid-beta is considered a key marker of cognitive decline. While it is known that amyloid accumulation contributes to PD with dementia, its role in patients who have not developed cognitive problems remains less understood. This study aimed to explore how age influences amyloid buildup in people with PD who do not yet show signs of dementia.
The researchers analyzed data from 89 individuals with PD and no signs of dementia. Participants were divided into two age-based groups: those diagnosed before age 73 (LOW group) and those diagnosed at age 73 or older (HIGH group). Using cerebrospinal fluid samples, they measured levels of amyloid-beta, a standard method for detecting early Alzheimer’s-related changes. The findings revealed that 30.6% of the older group tested positive for amyloid, compared to just 10.0% in the younger group.
“[…] we elucidated the prevalence of amyloid positivity in patients with PD without dementia, whose mean age at diagnosis was 80.2 years, using CSF Aβ42 levels.”
Interestingly, both age groups of Parkinson’s patients had a lower rate of amyloid positivity than cognitively normal individuals of the same age in the general population. This unexpected result suggests that PD may alter how amyloid accumulates in the brain, possibly shortening the phase in which amyloid builds up silently before symptoms appear. The authors suggest that amyloid buildup could accelerate the transition from healthy cognition to dementia in patients with PD. The study also observed age-related associations with other biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease, such as tau protein levels.
As the global population continues to age and the number of older adults diagnosed with PD grows, identifying early warning signs of cognitive decline becomes increasingly important. These findings may help inform future screening approaches and support the development of therapies aimed at delaying or preventing dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206297
Corresponding author: Masashi Kameyama – kame-tky@umin.ac.jp
Abstract video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP8S9evzCJw
Keywords: aging, amyloid positivity, Parkinson’s disease without dementia, cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42
______
To learn more about the journal, please visit our website at www.Aging-US.com and connect with us on social media at:
Facebook
X
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
Reddit
Bluesky
Pinterest
Spotify, and available wherever you listen to podcasts
Click here to subscribe to Aging publication updates.
For media inquiries, please contact media@impactjournals.com.
Click here to sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article.
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2025-09-16
OAK BROOK, Ill. – An artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning tool that estimates the malignancy risk of lung nodules achieved high cancer detection rates while significantly reducing false-positive results. Results of the study, which used data from large, multi-site lung cancer screening trials, were published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Lung cancer remains a significant global health issue, causing the most cancer-related deaths worldwide. Screening high-risk individuals with low-dose chest CT has been shown to reduce lung cancer mortality. However, early screening trials have reported high false-positive rates, leading ...
2025-09-16
ITHACA, NY—A new study published today in the journal Biological Conservation finds that different communication approaches can influence whether people take action to prevent birds from colliding with windows, a leading cause of bird mortality that kills over 1 billion birds annually in the United States and Canada.
Researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology tested different message framing approaches among bird enthusiasts and the general public to understand what motivates people to make their windows safer for birds. “If we want people to take action to reduce bird and window collisions, we really have to understand how to communicate with ...
2025-09-16
SAN ANTONIO — September 16, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) are collaborating to create a detection system to identify pre-ignition in hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2-ICE). Researchers will combine machine learning (ML) algorithms and artificial intelligence with onboard sensors to help detect pre-ignitions based on their tell-tale signs.
Pre-ignition occurs when unprompted combustion happens inside an engine before the prescribed spark timing. These abnormal, uncontrolled ...
2025-09-16
Ammonia is used in fertilizer and many industrial processes. It is also seen as a promising way to store and transport energy, as it is safer and easier to handle ammonia than hydrogen gas. Using plasma, the fourth state of matter, scientists have created a material that boosts ammonia production.
“If one needs industrial hydrogen someplace else than where it is made, it will be easier and safer to transport hydrogen as ammonia and store it until it is needed. Ideally then one would decompose the ...
2025-09-16
The International Data Corporation projects that artificial intelligence will add $19.9 trillion to the global economy by 2030, yet educators are still defining how students should learn to use the technology responsibly.
To better equip AI educators and to foster a sense of community among those in the field, Kennesaw State University Department Chair and Professor of Information Technology (IT) Shaoen Wu, along with assistant professors Seyedamin Pouriyeh and Chloe “Yixin” Xie, were recently awarded two National Science Foundation ...
2025-09-16
Cardiac arrest happens when the heart stops pumping blood properly, cutting off oxygen to the brain and other vital organs. In these emergencies, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can help keep blood and oxygen moving until medical help arrives. For children, CPR usually needs both chest compressions and rescue breaths, because many cases are caused by breathing problems such as drowning, choking, or serious illness.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, fear of infection changed the way CPR was practiced. Public health guidelines for adults recommended chest compression-only CPR (CO-CPR) to minimize the risk of ...
2025-09-16
In markets where producers drive the creative process, high-status producers can opt for more radical changes for their artists’ image, whereas middle-status producers are likely to shift their artists’ image to follow popular categories. The new research, published in Strategic Management Journal, uses Korean pop music — or K-pop — to demonstrate how the status of entertainment agencies affects how idol groups shift categories, an effect that is also limited by the artists’ gender.
The research — from Heeyon Kim of Cornell University, Yoonjeoung Heo of Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, and Chi-Nien Chung of Hong ...
2025-09-16
Dr. Juchan Yang’s research team at the Hydrogen & Battery Materials Center, from the Energy & Environment Materials Research Division of the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), has developed a composite catalyst using the novel material MXene that suppresses the generation of chloride ions-one of the key challenges in seawater electrolysis. This research outcome is expected to accelerate the practical application of seawater electrolysis technology by enabling stable hydrogen production even in seawater.
Hydrogen is gaining attention as an eco-friendly energy source that emits no carbon. However, conventional water electrolysis ...
2025-09-16
Gene therapy offers the possibility of addressing cancer at its molecular roots by targeting disease-causing genes rather than relying solely on surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. Among RNA-based strategies, microRNA (miRNA) sponges and short-hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) have emerged as promising tools to silence oncogenes and restore tumor-suppressor pathways. However, clinical application remains constrained by delivery inefficiency, instability, and off-target toxicity. Viral and non-viral vectors each present strengths and limitations: while viral vectors provide high transfection efficiency, they often cause immune responses and mutagenesis risks; non-viral ...
2025-09-16
In November 2016, India’s government abruptly invalidated its two highest-value banknotes, wiping out about 86 percent of the nation’s cash supply overnight. Known as the Great Indian Demonetization, the move was intended to curb corruption and encourage the adoption of digital payments.
The sudden shift sparked chaos. Long lines formed outside banks as people scrambled to exchange their money before it became worthless. Small business owners and street vendors, many of whom relied almost ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Older adults with Parkinson’s disease have increased brain amyloid without dementia
“We believe that our findings will incentivize further studies to identify the best disease-modifying therapy for early PD without dementia.”