Biology and neuropathology of dementia in syphilis and Lyme disease
It has long been known that Treponema pallidum, subspecies pallidum can in late stages of neurosyphilis cause dementia, cortical atrophy, and amyloid deposi- tion. The occurrence of dementia, including subacute presenile dementia, was also reported in association with Lyme disease caused by another spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi.