The Significance of α-Synuclein, Amyloid-β and Tau Pathologies in Parkinson's Disease Progression and Related Dementia

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Dementia is one of the milestones of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), with its neuropathological substrate still being a matter of debate, particularly regarding its potential mechanistic implications. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> The aim of this study was to review the relative importance of Lewy-related α-synuclein and Alzheimer's tau and amyloid-β (Aβ) pathologies in disease progression and dementia in PD. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We reviewed studies conducted at the Queen Square Brain Bank, Institute of Neurology, University College London, using large PD cohorts. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Cortical Lewy- and Alzheimer-type pathologies are associated with milestones of poorer prognosis and with non-tremor predominance, which have been, in turn, linked to dementia. The combination of these pathologies is the most robust neuropathological substrate of PD-related dementia, with cortical Aβ burden determining a faster progression to dementia. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The shared relevance of these pathologies in PD progression and dementia is in line with experimental data suggesting synergism between α-synuclein, tau and Aβ and with studies testing these proteins as disease biomarkers, hence favouring the eventual testing of therapeutic strategies targeting these proteins in PD.