This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Parkinson’s protein test could lead to earlier diagnosis
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh have discovered a test which could help diagnose early stages of Parkinson’s disease.
The test involves examining for the presence of sticky protein molecules in brain cells, and has proved highly accurate in early work which has been carried out on small numbers of people.
Tests were carried out on samples of spinal fluid from 38 patients and looked for clumps of alpha-synuclein, which is normally found as individual proteins in health people. The clinical analysts were then able to correctly identify 19 out of 20 samples from patients with Parkinson's and three samples from people who were thought to be at risk of the condition.
Dr Alison Green, from the University of Edinburgh, commented: “We hope that with further refinement, our approach will help to improve diagnosis for Parkinson's patients. These people could then be given the opportunity to take part in trials of new medicines that may slow, or stop, the progression of the disease.
Dr Beckie Port, senior research communications officer at Parkinson's UK, welcomed the findings but maintained: “Further research is needed to test more samples to see if the results continue to hold true, but this could be a significant development towards a future early diagnostic test for Parkinson’s."
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