CSF Biomarker May Support Lewy Body Diagnosis

A multicohort analysis suggests cerebrospinal fluid DOPA decarboxylase may help distinguish dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease from Alzheimer’s disease and controls

By
Henry Thomas
April 3, 2026
2 min

MDSpire News

Objective:

To evaluate the potential of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) levels as a biomarker for diagnosing Lewy body disorders.

Approach:

Key Findings:

CSF DDC concentrations were higher in Lewy body disorders compared to controls and Alzheimer’s disease.
Models incorporating CSF DDC, age, and sex showed strong diagnostic performance for distinguishing Lewy body disorders.
Plasma DDC showed no diagnostic value across diagnostic groups.
Higher CSF DDC levels were associated with specific clinical features of dementia with Lewy bodies, such as parkinsonian symptoms and visual hallucinations.
CSF DDC levels correlated with measures of Lewy body pathology, indicating disease-related changes.

Interpretation:

Elevated CSF DDC levels may reflect dopaminergic neuronal dysfunction and could serve as a supportive biomarker for diagnosing Lewy body disorders.

Limitations:

Further studies are needed to evaluate performance in broader and longitudinal patient populations.
The precise mechanism linking elevated DDC levels to disease remains uncertain.