Experts from the University of Kentucky have found that nearly half of dementia cases are of a newly discovered strain. Details are provided in a journal article. Acta Neuropathological.
In 2019, an international team of scientists discovered a new type of dementia, late limbic TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE). It is distinguished from other types of dementia by its late-onset (after 80 years), memory problems in the absence of speech and behavioral disorders, and a frequent combination with sclerotic lesions of the hippocampus.
Researchers analyzed more than 6,000 dementia patients from five countries on three continents, including autopsy, genetic and clinical data. It turned out that up to 40% of dementia cases are LATE. Additionally, up to 50% of patients initially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease suffered from LATE.
The scientists hope that further research will enable more accurate and timely differentiation of LATE from other types of dementia, possibly improving the quality of therapy.