An £80 blood test could help predict those who will develop Parkinson’s before they show symptoms of the disease, a new study has found.
The neurodegenerative condition is one of the most common in the world, with around 153,000 people living with Parkinson’s in the UK.
Parkinson’s is not in itself fatal, but the condition can make people more vulnerable and puts great strain on the body.
People develop Parkinson’s when they do not have enough of the chemical dopamine in their brain because some of the nerve cells that make it have stopped working.
It is not yet clear why some people develop Parkinson’s but research has suggested it is a combination of age, genetic, and environmental factors.
The main symptoms of Parkinson’s
The main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease affect physical movement:
- tremor – shaking, which usually begins in the hand or arm and is more likely to occur when the limb is relaxed and resting
- slowness of movement (bradykinesia) – physical movements are much slower than normal, which can make everyday tasks difficult and result in a distinctive slow, shuffling walk with very small steps
- muscle stiffness (rigidity) – stiffness and tension in the muscles, which can make it difficult to move around and make facial expressions, and can result in painful muscle cramps (dystonia)
Physical symptoms
- balance problems
- loss of sense of smell (anosmia)
- nerve pain
- problems with peeing
- constipation
- an inability to obtain or sustain an erection (erectile dysfunction) in men
- difficulty becoming sexually aroused and achieving an orgasm (sexual dysfunction) in women
- dizziness, blurred vision or fainting when moving from a sitting or lying position to a standing one
- excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)
- swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)
- excessive production of saliva (drooling)
- problems sleeping (insomnia)
Cognitive and psychiatric symptoms
- depression and anxiety
- mild cognitive impairment – slight memory problems and problems with activities that require planning and organisation
- dementia – a group of symptoms, including more severe memory problems, personality changes, seeing things that are not there (visual hallucinations) and believing things that are not true (delusions)
Early diagnosis is seen as vital to allow for better treatment, or managing symptoms.
A new paper in the Nature Aging journal has showed promising results related to a simple blood test.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem looked at RNF fragments which show in a specific pattern in Parkinson’s patients.
Combining this with a reduction in RNF fragments, scientists were able to detect the difference between those with Parkinson’s and those with only very subtle symptoms such as mood issues that often go unnoticed.
The test could be around 86 per cent accurate.
How the test works
The blood test examines small RNA molecules known as transfer RNA fragments (tRFs), which appear to play a role in neurological issues such as Parkinson’s.
Two key biomarkers emerged from the research – one that’s linked to Parkinson’s and another to the progression of the disease.
Scientists used a simple blood test to measure the distance between them.
The findings suggested the test can distinguish between a Parkinson’s patient and a healthy control with up to 86 per cent accuracy.
“By focusing on tRFs, we’ve opened a new window into the molecular changes that occur in the earliest stages of the disease,” said Hermona Soreq, one of the study’s authors and a professor of molecular neuroscience at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The Hebrew University team has filed provisional patents in the United States for the technology and is now pursuing large-scale diagnostic trials.
To find out more about Parkinson’s visit the Parkinson’s UK website or call the Alzheimer’s Society on 0333 150 3456.
