Case report: pre-symptomatic clinical and metabolic profile in posterior cortical atrophy and dementia with Lewy bodies

Abstract

A research participant was monitored over nearly two decades at Mayo Clinic, undergoing annual neurologic assessments, neuropsychological tests, and multimodal imaging. Initially, he was cognitively normal but developed symptoms consistent with Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA) during the study. Early tests indicated mild, yet normal-range declines in language and visuospatial skills. FDG-PET scans revealed increased metabolism in posterior brain regions long before symptoms appeared. Advanced analysis using a novel in-house machine-learning tool predicted concurrent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Autopsy confirmed a mixed neurodegenerative condition with significant Alzheimer’s pathology and dense neocortical Lewy bodies. This case underscores the value of longitudinal imaging in predicting complex neurodegenerative diseases, offering vital insights into the early neurocognitive changes associated with PCA and dementia with Lewy bodies.