Early detection of Parkinson's disease: a new test will help you avoid waiting for symptoms for years
Kyiv • UNN
A new skin biopsy test can accurately detect abnormal alpha-synuclein protein in 93% of people, allowing early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease rather than waiting for symptoms to appear for many years.
The skin biopsy test accelerates the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease symptoms and is part of an advance that will allow doctors to diagnose Parkinson's disease based on biology, rather than symptoms that can appear for years.
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Details
Recent advances in early detection of Parkinson's disease open up new avenues for more effective intervention. We are talking about the use of a skin biopsy test, which is offered in US medical centers, which allows doctors to diagnose Parkinson's disease based on biology.
What is a skin biopsy in the context of Parkinson's disease?
A skin test detects an abnormal protein shown in Orange and gold inside the nerves shown in green. People with Parkinson's disease have an abnormal protein called alpha-synuclein. According to a study published Wednesday in JAVA, the test accurately detected an abnormal alpha-synuclein protein in 93% of people who have already been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease based on symptoms. He found that the protein was high in participants with similar disorders, including Lewy Body Dementia.
Basically, a skin test is a window into the brain
The test can help doctors rule out diseases with similar symptoms that can be treated differently or have different prognosis. According to autopsies, patients with symptoms of Parkinson's disease are often misdiagnosed, said Dr. Christopher Gibbons, a neurologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and lead author of the study.
Another test detects protein in the cerebrospinal fluid. Researchers are also working on tests using blood, nasal swabs, and tears. The goal is to detect the protein in people years before they develop symptoms and treat them with medications that can slow or stop the disease, said Dr. Todd Levine, chief medical officer at CND Life Sciences.
A skin test costs just under.1,500,but is usually covered mostly or in full by insurance, Levin said.
Not all patients need the test, said Dr. Joy Antonel de Markaida, who uses it as medical director of the David and Rhoda Chase Center for Family Movement Disorders at Hartford Healthcare. According to her, for many, the diagnosis is clear from the symptoms.
But others have less noticeable symptoms or other possible explanations, and it may take time to diagnose them.
We used to have to tell them: come back in six months, a year, and I'll look again
Reference
Parkinson's disease occurs when cells deep in the brain that produce dopamine, which coordinates movement, are disrupted or die.
Symptoms include tremors, stiffness, slow movements, and balance problems. Patients also experience non-motor complications such as depression, sleep disorders, and pain.
The disease usually occurs in older adults, more often in men, it increases with the aging of the population, because the risk of abnormal protein production by the body increases with age.
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