Early test for brain condition may now be possible

SCIENTISTS ARE a step closer to developing a test for early-stage Parkinson’s disease after detecting a molecule linked to the brain condition in samples of spinal fluid.

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

The condition 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, many of them over the age of 50.

The test molecule is a protein called alpha-synuclein which forms sticky clumps known as Lewy bodies in brain cells of people with Parkinson’s and some types of dementia. University of Edinburgh researchers used 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, from the National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We have already used this technique to develop an accurate test for Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease (CJD), another neurodegenerative condition.

“We hope that with further refinement, our approach will help to improve diagnosis for Parkinson’s patients. 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.”

The findings are published in the journal Annals Of Clinical And Translational Neurology.

Dr Beckie Port, from Parkinson’s UK, said the disease has no definitive diagnostic test meaning there is an “urgent need for a simple and accurate way” of detecting the condition.

She added: “Further research is needed... to see if the results continue to hold true, but this could be a significant development towards a future early diagnostic test for Parkinson’s.”