Hope of new test to aid earlier dementia diagnosis

SCIENTISTS at a Scottish university have said they are a step closer to developing a test for early-stage Parkinson’s disease.

A molecule linked to the brain condition can be detected in samples of spinal fluid, research has shown.

The discovery may pave the way to earlier diagnosis of Parkinson’s, improving treatment prospects.

Parkinson’s disease causes the progressive loss of neurons involved in movement, leading to uncontrollable tremors, rigid muscles and poor balance.

An estimated 127,000 people in the UK have the disease, most of them over the age of 50.

The test molecule is a protein called alpha-synuclein which forms sticky clumps known as Lewy bodies within the brain cells of people with Parkinson’s and some types of dementia.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh used highly sensitive technology to differentiate between healthy and harmful forms of the protein.

In early studies the technique accurately identified 19 out of 20 samples from Parkinson’s patients, as well as three samples from people thought to be at risk of the condition.

Dr Alison Green, of the University of Edinburgh, said: “We have already used this technique to develop an accurate test for Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease, another neurodegenerative condition.

“We are also interested in whether it could be used to identify people with Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia in the early stages of their illness. These people could then be given the opportunity to take part in trials of new medicines that may slow, or stop, the progression of disease.”