SUMMARY
Toji Miyagawa, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-scientist whose research focuses on neurodegenerative dementias, including Lewy body disease, Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. He integrates clinical neurology with imaging, biomarker development and longitudinal observational studies to improve diagnosis and disease staging across the dementia spectrum. He has played a leading role in the development and validation of standardized clinical outcome measures that are now used internationally in frontotemporal dementia research and clinical trials.
Dr. Miyagawa's research approach combines multimodal brain and cardiac imaging, structured clinical assessments, and clinicopathologic correlation, informed by his training in the molecular cell biology of Alzheimer's d/isease. He works to identify reliable biomarkers that distinguish overlapping dementia syndromes and enable earlier, more accurate diagnosis. These efforts aim to support disease‑modifying therapeutic trials and improve patient stratification in neurodegenerative disease research.
Focus areas
- Lewy body disease biomarkers. Dr. Miyagawa evaluates imaging biomarkers for Lewy body disease across symptomatic and prodromal stages, such as isolated REM sleep behavior disorder and mild cognitive impairment. He studies dopamine transporter imaging and cardiac sympathetic imaging to improve diagnostic accuracy, differentiate Lewy body disease from Alzheimer's disease and better define disease progression using multimodal approaches.
- Prodromal neurodegeneration detection. A key focus of Dr. Miyagawa's research is identifying individuals at higher risk of developing dementia before significant cognitive decline occurs. By examining imaging, clinical and physiological changes in early or isolated syndromes, he seeks to define windows for intervention when disease‑modifying therapies may be most effective.
- Frontotemporal dementia staging. Dr. Miyagawa leads efforts to develop, refine and validate structured global rating scales for frontotemporal lobar degeneration. His work has established scoring rules and demonstrated the sensitivity of these tools in early disease, supporting their adoption as primary or secondary outcome measures in international clinical trials.
- Cross-cultural assessment tools. Dr. Miyagawa collaborates with international colleagues to adapt and validate dementia assessment instruments across languages and populations. This work broadens global research participation and ensures that clinical measures remain reliable and comparable across a wide range of patient groups.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Miyagawa's research helps healthcare professionals identify different types of dementia earlier and with greater accuracy. By improving imaging and clinical rating tools — which are tools used to assess symptoms — patients are more likely to get the right diagnosis and avoid treatments they don't need. When dementia is identified sooner, patients and families have more time to plan, make informed decisions and join research studies if they choose. Over time, this work also supports the development of new treatments by making clinical trials more precise and reliable, ensuring patients are matched with the care that best fits their needs.
Professional highlights
- Japanese Society of Neurology:
- Member, Editorial board, Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, 2023-present.
- Overseas Dispatching Program, 2018.
- Mayo Clinic:
- Principal investigator, Myocardial 123I-MIBG Scintigraphy in Prodromal Dementia With Lewy Bodies, 2023-2026.
- Program director, Myocardial 123I-MIBG Scintigraphy in Prodromal Dementia With Lewy Bodies, 2023-2026.
- Zander Family Foundation Career Development Award, 2023.