22
Mar 2019
Science sheds light on Parkinson’s smell test
A woman who has been able to detect Parkinson’s disease through smell has assisted doctors in identifying the cause of the odour, with researchers saying they had been able to identify the molecules on the skin which were linked to the odour and hope that it could lead to early detection of the disease.
The research showed that a number of compounds, including octadecanal, eicosane and hippuric acid, were found in high concentrations on the skin of Parkinson’s patients.
The particles are contained in sebum, an oily secretion which is found on everyone’s skin, but is produced in higher quantity in people with the disease, which then makes them more susceptible to a skin complaint called seborrheic dermatitis.
Professor Perdita Barran, led author of the study, said “What we found are some compounds that are more present in people who have got Parkinson’s disease and the reason we’ve discovered them is because (this lady) could smell a difference.
“She could smell people who’ve got Parkinson’s disease.”
Currently one in 500 people have Parkinson’s in the UK and the figure rises to one in 100 in people over the age of 60. Sufferers can be left struggling to speak, walk and sleep. There is currently no cure and no conclusive test for the disease, with diagnosis made through observing symptoms.
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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