On Feb. 16, 2021, in a study led by National Institutes of Health researchers, scientists found that five genes may play a critical role in determining whether a person will suffer from Lewy body dementia, a devastating disorder that riddles the brain with clumps of abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies. Lewy bodies are also a hallmark of Parkinsonﾒs disease.

The results, published in Nature Genetics, not only supported the diseaseﾒs ties to Parkinsonﾒs disease but also suggested that people who have Lewy body dementia may share similar genetic profiles to those who have Alzheimerﾒs disease.