Lack of Convincing Evidence That Borrelia burgdorferi Infection Causes Either Alzheimer Disease or Lewy Body Dementia

Abstract

The role that microorganisms might have in the development of Alzheimer disease is a topic of considerable interest. In this article, we discuss whether there is credible evidence that Lyme disease is a cause of Alzheimer disease and critically review a recent publication that claimed that Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto infection, the primary cause of Lyme disease in the United States, may cause Lewy body dementia. We conclude that no convincing evidence exists that Lyme disease is a cause of either Alzheimer disease or Lewy body dementia.

Keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; Alzheimer disease; Lewy body dementia; Lyme disease; dementia.