Simple blood test to diagnose Parkinson’s disease

February 9, 2017

A new study suggests that a blood test could help doctors diagnose Parkinson’s
Patients had to undergo a spinal fluid test to see if the symptoms were related
There is no cure for the disease and 127,000 people in the UK suffer from it

Ben Spencer, Medical Correspondent For The Daily Mail

Published:
19:20 EST, 8 February 2017

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Updated:
21:08 EST, 8 February 2017

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A new blood test could give doctors the first quick and simple way of diagnosing Parkinson’s disease, a study suggests.

Until now patients have had to undergo a spinal fluid test to determine whether symptoms are caused by Parkinson’s.

But experts at Lund University in Sweden have now discovered a protein in the blood which is an accurate marker of the disease.

Around 127,000 people in the UK are believed to have Parkinson’s, which causes tremors, slow movements and muscle rigidity.

A new blood test could give doctors the first quick and simple way of diagnosing Parkinson’s disease

There is currently no cure and no way of stopping the progression of the disease.

But the progressive nerve cell damage produced by Parkinson’s is thought to begin long before symptoms appear.

An early test may help doctors slow the symptoms, if not the course of the disease.

Study leader Dr Oskar Hansson, whose work is published in the Neurology medical journal, said: ‘We have found that concentrations of a nerve protein in the blood can discriminate between these diseases as accurately as concentrations of that same protein in spinal fluid.’

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Researchers tested the blood of 504 people from Britain and Sweden, including healthy people and those who had been living with Parkinson’s for up to six years.

The team found the blood test was just as accurate as a spinal fluid test at diagnosing whether someone had Parkinson’s or another neurological disease.

Dr Hansson said the test may also help differentiate between Parkinson’s and other rare conditions called ‘atypical parkinsonism disorders’, for which it is often confused.

‘Our findings are exciting because when Parkinson’s or an atypical parkinsonism disorder is suspected, one simple blood test will help a physician to give their patient a more accurate diagnosis,’ he said.

Approximately 127,000 people living in the United Kingdom are believed to have Parkinson’s

‘These atypical parkinsonism disorders are rare, but they generally progress much faster and are more likely to be the cause of death than Parkinson’s disease, so it’s important for patients and their families to receive the best care possible and to plan for their future needs.’

Claire Bale, head of research communications at Parkinson’s UK, said: ‘This test is very promising as it could reduce the delays and distress so many people experience in getting a definitive diagnosis of Parkinson’s.

‘Research suggests that around one in ten people initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s actually have another condition altogether. This not only means they do not receive the right treatment and care, but also contributes to the failure of clinical trials of new medications.

‘While this is a positive step towards a simple, fast test to determine whether someone has Parkinson’s or parkinsonism, more research in larger groups is still needed to determine the technique’s accuracy.’