Early detection test for Parkinson’s: “Vital Sign” Identifies the Disease
Parkinson’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders result from changes in the brain that occur long before symptoms appear, making early intervention challenging.
In an attempt to address this problem, researchers sought to create a method capable of identifying Parkinson’s patients or those with “resting tremor” early on, allowing for more effective intervention to slow the progression of the disease. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in America claim to have succeeded in this endeavor by discovering a measurable “alpha-synuclein fibrils” marker that can help identify targeted patient groups in the early stages of the disease.
The researchers identified the possibility of measuring this marker, which is abnormal protein aggregates playing a crucial role in various neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy, and dementia.
In a press release issued by Brigham University, the researchers announced their success in developing a molecular testing platform to detect these protein aggregates and quantify them in samples, aiding in the identification of patients who can take quick actions for treatment before the disease progresses. The platform developed by the researchers can detect these unwanted protein aggregates in brain tissues and fluid samples, and they aim to improve these clinical diagnostic tests in the future, exploring the platform’s potential for examining drugs and possibly identifying inhibitors or drug targets associated with the accumulation of protein aggregates.
David Walt, from the Department of Pathology at Brigham University and the lead researcher on this project, says, “This work is a significant step toward our goal of developing a method to detect and measure the key marker of Parkinson’s disease to help doctors identify patients much earlier.”
He adds, “Having a measurable vital sign will also help us identify new candidates for drugs, test their effects on more targeted groups of early-stage patients.”
Worldwide, over 10 million people suffer from Parkinson’s disease, and the incidence increases with age in societies where life expectancy has also risen in recent decades. In the United States alone, nearly 90,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year.
Until now, doctors have relied on neurological examinations and medical histories when diagnosing Parkinson’s disease. However, by the time clinical symptoms appear, the disease may have caused irreparable damage in the brain.
Currently, there are no blood tests or laboratory tests for diagnosing Parkinson’s disease in patients without a known genetic predisposition, representing approximately 90% of Parkinson’s patients.
