Simple blood test could help detect Parkinsons seven years before it strikes
A simple blood test can predict Parkinson’s disease up to seven years before symptoms appear, marking a ‘major step forward’ in diagnosis.
The disease is a condition in which parts of the brain gradually become damaged, leading to tremors, slowness of movement and memory problems.
There is currently no cure, but experts believe an earlier diagnosis could help find treatments that can slow or even stop the disease.
The new test uses artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the likelihood that someone will develop Parkinson’s disease, which is caused by the death of nerve cells in the part of the brain that controls movement.
When these nerve cells die or become damaged, they lose the ability to produce an important chemical called dopamine.
The test works by looking for eight proteins in the blood that have been linked to the disease. Tests on 72 people showed that the system was able to detect the likelihood of someone developing Parkinson’s disease with 100 percent accuracy, up to seven years before the onset of symptoms.
Knowing the symptoms of Parkinson’s can lead to earlier diagnoses and access to treatments that improve patients’ quality of life
People with Parkinson’s are currently treated with dopamine replacement therapy, which can help maintain quality of life for as long as possible.
But it’s thought that earlier diagnosis and treatment can help protect dopamine-producing brain cells, preventing symptoms in the first place.
Senior author Professor Kevin Mills from the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health at University College London (UCL) said: ‘As new therapies become available to treat Parkinson’s disease, we need to diagnose patients before they have developed symptoms.
‘We can’t regrow our brain cells and so we need to protect the cells we have.
‘We currently close the stable door after the horse has run away and we have to start experimental treatments before patients develop complaints.’
The test works by looking for eight proteins in the blood that have been linked to the disease.
Tests on 72 people showed that the system was able to detect with 100 percent accuracy the likelihood that someone would develop Parkinson’s disease up to seven years before the onset of symptoms.
Co-first author Dr Michael Bartl, from the University Medical Center Goettingen, and Dr Jenny Hallqvist, also from UCL, said: ‘By determining eight proteins in the blood, we can identify potential Parkinson’s patients several years in advance .
‘This means drug therapies could potentially be given at an earlier stage, potentially slowing or even preventing disease progression.’
Professor David Dexter, Research Director at Parkinson’s UK, who co-funded the research, said: ‘This research represents a major step forward in the search for a definitive and patient-friendly diagnostic test for Parkinson’s.
‘Finding biological markers that can be identified and measured in the blood is much less invasive than lumbar puncture, which is increasingly used in clinical research.’
The team said it is hoped that, with sufficient funding, the test will be used by the NHS within two years.
They suggest that with further research, this test could potentially distinguish between Parkinson’s and other conditions that share some early similarities.
Around 153,000 people in Britain already suffer from Parkinson’s disease, and it is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disorder in the world.
The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.