Skin Swabs May Detect Parkinson’s Years Before Symptoms Appear

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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

  • The method focuses on sebum, the oily substance on skin primarily found on the face and upper back.

  • 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.

  • 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

Why This Matters

  • Early detection can open doors for earlier interventions or future disease-modifying treatments.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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