Latest news with #AmericanParkinsonDiseaseAssociation
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Groundbreaking new method can detect Parkinson's years before symptoms with 98% accuracy
Your dog may be able to tell if you develop Parkinson's disease years before any symptom, a new study suggests. Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects movement, causing symptoms like tremors, stiffness and slow movement. Currently, this incurable disease can't be diagnosed with a definitive test and most patients do not know they have the condition until symptoms begin. However, now researchers from University of Bristol, UK have found that dogs can smell the signs of Parkinson's disease (PD) through skin swabs with 98 percent accuracy well before any other test. Lead author Dr Nicola Rooney, Associate Professor at Bristol Veterinary School said: 'Identifying diagnostic biomarkers of PD, particularly those that may predict development or help diagnose disease earlier is the subject of much ongoing research. 'I believe that dogs could help us to develop a quick non-invasive and cost-effective method to identify patients with Parkinson's disease.' As of 2025, over 1million Americans suffer from the neurological disorder and a new person is diagnosed with every six minutes, according to American Parkinson Disease Association. Despite mostly affecting older adults aged 65 and above, about 10 percent of people are diagnosed prior to age 40 with young-onset Parkinson's. During early stages of Parkinson's disease, the neurons in the brain responsible for producing a chemical called dopamine begin to slowly break down or die. Dopamine acts as a messenger between the parts of the brain and nervous system that help control and coordinate body movements. The lack of dopamine causes the primary symptoms of the disease to begin appearing including tremors, drooling, cramped or small handwriting, trouble swallowing and a loss of smell. Over time, as the neurons continue to die, the patients also begins to experience a slowness in movement, muscle stiffness, balance problems and begin to show signs of depression. Ultimately, those suffering from Parkinson's may be unable to stand or walk independently and require a wheelchair or are bedridden. They may also require around-the-clock care. Medication can help manage symptoms, but their effectiveness may decrease over time, requiring adjustments to treatment plans. In this study, published in The Journal of Parkinson's Disease, the British researchers trained two dogs, a golden retriever and black labrador. Both animals were given over 200 odor samples to learn how to recognize the difference in smell between skin oil (sebum) samples from individuals with Parkinson's and those without for weeks. Researchers have found that dogs can smell the signs of Parkinson's disease (stock image) The dogs were rewarded when they correctly identified a positive sample or accurately ignored a negative one. In a double-blind trial, where neither the handlers nor researchers knew which samples were which, the dogs were able to recognize nearly all Parkinson's-infected swabs. Moreover, they were also able to detect Parkinson's in swabs from people with multiple health conditions. As a result, the researchers concluded that the disease has a unique scent signature, and dogs could help identify it through subtle changes in the sebum produced by individuals with the disease. This could pioneer a faster, non-invasive way to detect the disease years earlier than current methods allow, experts claimed. Claire Guest, CEO of Medical Detection Dogs, the company that collaborated with the scientists, said: 'We are extremely proud to say that once again, dogs can very accurately detect disease. 'There is currently no early test for Parkinson's disease and symptoms may start up to 20 years before they become visible and persistent leading to a confirmed diagnosis. 'Timely diagnosis is key as subsequent treatment could slow down the progression of the disease and reduce the intensity of symptoms.' Previous research has shown that Parkinson's disease affects the production and composition of sebum in the skin which can lead to an altered odor. Since dogs have a highly developed sense of smell, far superior to humans, they are able to detect these subtle differences in scent and identify signs of the disease earlier than any other evaluation.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Leading Parkinson's Advocacy Groups Urge Strong Federal Investment in Biomedical Research
NEW YORK , June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As Congress works to set funding levels for the National Institutes of Health, The American Parkinson Disease Association, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research and The Parkinson's Foundation call on lawmakers to ensure that a robustly funded, collaborative NIH — the essential engine of medical progress and hope for millions of Americans — is a cornerstone of the nation's budget today and in the future. Decades of dedicated scientific investigation and bipartisan support for NIH have advanced the search for next-generation treatments and brought us to the brink of transformative breakthroughs in Parkinson's care. Sustained federal investment also has contributed to recent discoveries that have unlocked brand-new understanding of shared biology across the major brain diseases, positioning the field to make even more rapid gains within the next decade. Any reorganization of NIH must be guided by these new scientific insights— with input from patients and families — to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes. It is imperative that we preserve and build on this progress by increasing investment in our national scientific enterprise through NIH on behalf of the 1 million Americans living with Parkinson's, their families and the millions more whose lives are touched by neurodegenerative disease, such as Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's disease. This is the future our country needs and deserves. Our organizations have demonstrated the power of public-private partnership to drive scientific progress, delivering results for patients and families. We and our nationwide network of advocates will support every effort to keep this critical work moving forward through the appropriations process and in any consideration of a reorganization of NIH. We trust our nation's leaders to join us in this vital mission. About The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is a nationwide grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinson's disease (PD) and works tirelessly to help the approximately one million with PD in the United States live life to the fullest in the face of this chronic, neurological disorder. Founded in 1961, APDA has raised and invested more than $313 million to provide outstanding patient services and educational programs, elevate public awareness about the disease, and support research designed to unlock the mysteries of PD and ultimately put an end to this disease. About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding $2.5 billion in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; creates a robust open- access data set and biosample library to speed scientific breakthroughs and treatment with its landmark clinical study, PPMI; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. For more information, visit us at Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. About the Parkinson's Foundation The Parkinson's Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson's disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson's community. Since 1957, the Parkinson's Foundation has invested more than $474 million in Parkinson's research and clinical care. Connect with us on Facebook, X, Instagram or call 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636). View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research; The Parkinson's Foundation; The American Parkinson Disease Association
