Today, Parkinson’s disease is usually diagnosed only once movement problems appear.
By that point, extensive damage to the brain has often already occurred.
However, there is still no simple and widely used method to detect the disease at an early stage, even though it develops slowly over many years.
The challenge of early diagnosis
Early detection of Parkinson’s has long been a goal of research.
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Methods such as brain scans and examinations of cerebrospinal fluid have provided insight into the disease, but they are difficult to use as routine tests, partly because they are expensive or invasive.
At the same time, the number of people with Parkinson’s is expected to rise sharply toward 2050.
This means that the need for more accessible testing methods is growing, especially methods that can be used before symptoms become apparent.
Gene activity
A study from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and Oslo University Hospital in Norway offers a new perspective.
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The study, published in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease, examined changes in the blood of people in an early stage of the disease.
Using machine learning, the researchers identified a specific pattern in gene activity linked to cells’ ability to repair DNA and manage stress.
This pattern was found only in individuals at an early stage of the disease and not in healthy people or those with advanced Parkinson’s.
When can blood tests be used?
According to the researchers, as many as 50 to 80 percent of the nerve cells affected by Parkinson’s may already be damaged by the time movement symptoms appear. This makes an early biological marker particularly important.
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The researchers estimate that blood tests based on this method could potentially be tested in the healthcare system within about five years.
However, more research is needed before the method can be widely used.
Sources: Science Daily, and npj Parkinson’s Disease.
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