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It is time to share Alzheimer biomarker results in dementia with Lewy bodies
Melissa J. Armstrong, Joshua D. Grill, Thomas Francis Tropea. Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring, 2025-07-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
There are increasing calls for sharing individual biomarker results with participants in dementia research. No studies investigate returning Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker results to individuals with syndromic dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) even though most of these individuals have both pathologies. This perspective argues that AD biomarkers are valid, interpretable, and actionable, particularly relating to expected prognosis and treatment effects, in people with DLB. Thus, there is an ethical imperative to study AD biomarker result sharing in these patients. This will require revising current disclosure practices. Areas of need include unique pre- and post-test education and careful assessment of the readiness to receive results and post-result responses in people with DLB given the frequency of neuropsychiatric symptoms in this group. Studying responses to sharing AD biomarkers in people with DLB will also inform other dementia settings (e.g., returning synuclein results to individuals with syndromic AD) and neurodegenerative diseases more broadly. Highlights: There are increasing calls for biomarker result sharing in dementia research.No processes exist to guide result sharing in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).Alzheimer biomarker results in DLB are valid, interpretable, and actionable.Research is needed on the methods and effects of sharing with people with DLB.Research is needed for sharing evidence of co-pathology across neurodegenerations.
Key findings
- There are increasing calls for sharing individual biomarker results with participants in dementia research.
- No studies investigate returning Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker results to individuals with syndromic dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) even though most of these individuals have both pathologies.
- Thus, there is an ethical imperative to study AD biomarker result sharing in these patients.
- Areas of need include unique pre- and post-test education and careful assessment of the readiness to receive results and post-result responses in people with DLB given the frequency of neuropsychiatric symptoms in this group.
- Studying responses to sharing AD biomarkers in people with DLB will also inform other dementia settings (e.g., returning synuclein results to individuals with syndromic AD) and neurodegenerative diseases more broadly.
Why it matters
This perspective argues that Alzheimer's disease biomarker results are valid, interpretable, and actionable in people with dementia with Lewy bodies, and that there is an ethical imperative to study sharing these results with them. It is about disclosure practices and research ethics, not about treating or curing disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring: journal h-index 86 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 8 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Thomas Francis Tropea: h-index 28 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Pennsylvania: institution h-index 1,859 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40636063) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1002/dad2.70144
- PubMed: 40636063
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Armstrong, M. J., Grill, J. D., & Tropea, T. F. (2025). It is time to share Alzheimer biomarker results in dementia with Lewy bodies. Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring. https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.70144
Vancouver
Armstrong MJ, Grill JD, Tropea TF. It is time to share Alzheimer biomarker results in dementia with Lewy bodies. Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring. 2025. doi:10.1002/dad2.70144. PMID: 40636063.
BibTeX
@article{armstrong2025-40636063,
author = {Armstrong, Melissa J. and Grill, Joshua D. and Tropea, Thomas Francis},
title = {{It is time to share Alzheimer biomarker results in dementia with Lewy bodies}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia Diagnosis Assessment \& Disease Monitoring},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/dad2.70144},
pmid = {40636063},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.70144}
}
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