Skin Swabs May Detect Parkinson’s Years Before Symptoms Appear
Skin Swabs May Detect Parkinson’s Years Before Symptoms Appear
Scientists from the University of Manchester, alongside partners at Salford Royal and University of Innsbruck, have developed a non-invasive skin swab test that could identify Parkinson’s disease up to seven years before symptoms emerge Facebook+10medicalxpress.com+10Technology Networks+10New York Post+5Medical News Today+5medicalxpress.com+5.
How It Works
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The method focuses on sebum, the oily substance on skin primarily found on the face and upper back.
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Skin swabs are analyzed using thermal desorption–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) to detect specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with early Parkinson’s ScienceDaily+4medicalxpress.com+4Technology Networks+4.
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In a study with 83 participants—46 with diagnosed Parkinson’s, 28 healthy controls, and 9 with iRBD (a precursor sleep disorder)—55 chemical markers showed distinct patterns. Individuals with iRBD often fell between healthy and diagnosed groups, indicating potential as early biomarkers Medical News Today+4medicalxpress.com+4Technology Networks+4.
Dogs Confirm the Findings
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Additional research showed trained dogs can sniff out these Parkinson’s-related odors from swabs with up to 80% sensitivity (true positives) and 98% specificity (true negatives) in a controlled trial Université de Manchester+3News-Medical+3ScienceDaily+3.
Why This Matters
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Early detection can open doors for earlier interventions or future disease-modifying treatments.
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Sebum testing is easy, painless, and low-cost, and doesn’t require cold storage like blood or cerebrospinal fluid sampling labmedica.com+1Le Wall Street Journal+1medicalxpress.com.
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It could transform Parkinson’s screening, allowing routine monitoring of at-risk individuals.
Bottom Line
This skin-based test represents a major leap toward detecting Parkinson’s before debilitating symptoms arise, offering hope for earlier treatment and better patient outcomes. The ongoing development could soon bring this tool into clinical practice.