ISLAMABAD
\nResearchers are developing a new blood test that they say could detect Parkinson\u2019s disease up to seven years before the onset of symptoms.
\nThe potential test was developed using artificial intelligence. The research team said they correctly diagnosed 16 people in the study who went on to develop Parkinson\u2019s disease.
\nA new blood test might be able to identify Parkinson\u2019s disease years before symptoms show up, according to new research completed at University College London and University Medical Center Goettingen.
\nThe studyTrusted Source was published today in the journal Nature Communcations.
\nIn it, researchers described how they developed a blood test that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect Parkinson\u2019s disease about seven years before onset. They analyzed blood samples from 72 study participants with Rapid Eye Movement Behavior Disorder (iRBD). People with this disorder physically act out their dreams without knowing they are doing so. About 75% to 80% of people with iRBD will develop a synucleinopathy \u2013 a brain disorder caused by the abnormal buildup of a protein called alpha-synuclein.
\nThe scientists used a machine-learning tool and identified 79% of the people with iRBD as having the same profile as someone with Parkinson\u2019s disease. The AI program analyzed eight blood-based biomarkers altered in people with Parkinson\u2019s. The research team said they correctly predicted that 16 people in the study would go on to develop Parkinson\u2019s. They were able to do so seven years before the onset of symptoms.
\nThe scientists continued to follow up with the 16 people identified with Parkinson\u2019s to verify the accuracy of the test further. \u201cThe development of a biomarker test for early detection of Parkinson\u2019s disease is a potentially transformative advancement,\u201d said Dr. Daniel Truong, a neurologist and medical director of the Truong Neuroscience Institute at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in California and editor in chief of the Journal of Clinical Parkinsonism and Related Disorders. \u201cIt could change the landscape of diagnosis, treatment, and research in neurodegenerative diseases.\u201d
\n\u201cWhile the promise is substantial, careful validation, ethical considerations, and thoughtful integration into clinical practice will be essential to realize its benefits,\u201d Truong, who wasn\u2019t involved in the study, told Medical News Today. \u201cIf successfully implemented, this test could lead to earlier and more effective interventions, ultimately improving the lives of millions of individuals at risk for or living with Parkinson\u2019s disease.\u201d How a blood test for Parkinson\u2019s disease could help In a press release, Dr. Michael Bartl, a study co-first author in the Department of Neurology at the University Medical Center Goettingen and Paracelsus-Elena-Klinik Kassel said that \u201cby determining eight proteins in the blood, we can identify potential Parkinson\u2019s patients several years in advance.\u201d
\n\u201cThis means that drug therapies could potentially be given at an earlier stage, which could possibly slow down disease progression or even prevent it from occurring,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cWe have not only developed a test but can diagnose the disease based on markers that are directly linked to processes such as inflammation and degradation of non-functional proteins,\u201d Bartl noted. \u201cSo these markers represent possible targets for new drug treatments.\u201d
\nDavid Dexter, the director of research at Parkinson\u2019s UK, indicated in a press release that this research is a major step forward in finding a diagnostic test for Parkinson\u2019s and hopes that with more work, the test could distinguish between Parkinson\u2019s and diseases with similarities, such as multiple systems atrophy or dementia with Lewy bodies.
\nHow Parkinson\u2019s disease is currently diagnosed
\n\u201cCurrently, we are unable to identify in advance individuals who will develop the disease, even though we know that certain individuals with family history of the disease and genetic mutations, which we can now test for and identify, are at risk for developing Parkinson\u2019s,\u201d said Dr. Alessandro Di Rocco, a neurologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York who was not involved in the study.
\n\u201cFurther, before developing the typical motor changes of the disease, such as slowing of movements or tremor, there may be \u2018prodromal\u2019 symptoms that can appear a few years earlier,\u201d he told Medical News Today.
\nAccording to an article published in the Journal of Parkinson\u2019s DiseaseTrusted Source, prodromal symptoms include:
\n\u201cParkinson\u2019s disease is currently diagnosed through a combination of clinical evaluations, medical history, physical and neurological examinations, and supportive tests such as DaTscan,\u201d Truong explained. \u201cMRI imaging tests help rule out other conditions that may cause similar symptoms, such as strokes, brain tumors, or normal pressure hydrocephalus.
\nHe noted that DaTscans measure the amount of dopamine transporters in the brain.
\n\u201cIt helps differentiate Parkinson\u2019s from other conditions with similar symptoms,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cResearch is ongoing to identify biomarkers that can aid in early diagnosis,\u201d Truong added. \u201cFor example, a-synuclein seed amplification assays (SAA) and mass spectrometry-based proteomic phenotyping are promising methods for detecting early molecular changes associated with Parkinson\u2019s disease. Skin biopsy can help identify a-synuclein on the skin.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Researchers are developing a new blood test that they say could detect Parkinson\u2019s disease up to seven years before the onset of symptoms. The potential test was developed using artificial intelligence. The research team said they correctly diagnosed 16 people in the study who went on to develop Parkinson\u2019s disease. A new blood test […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":413369,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-413347","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n