In 1912, Fritz Heinrich Lewy identified the intracellular inclusions that are characteristic of Parkinson disease (PD). Here, Goedert and colleagues present an overview of Lewy's life, including the events leading up to the discovery of the inclusion bodies that now bear his name. They go on to discuss the central role of Lewy pathology in PD and other neurodegenerative disorders, and the research that has elucidated the mechanisms through which α-synuclein aggregation causes neuronal dysfunction and death.
- Michel Goedert
- Maria Grazia Spillantini
- Heiko Braak
