New blood tests may spot Parkinson’s before symptoms appear

Researchers have identified a biological signature of Parkinson’s disease they hope could lead to a simple blood test for the condition at least seven years before symptoms appear. Scientists have screened blood samples from people with Parkinson’s and detected eight key proteins or “biomarkers” common to those with the condition.

Based on these proteins in the blood, artificial intelligence could identify potential Parkinson’s patients several years in advance. Parkinson’s is the world’s fastest-growing neurological condition and affects ten million people worldwide.

Furthermore, the BBC reports that Charity Parkinson’s UK said it was “a major step forward” in the search for a non-invasive patient-friendly test. However, larger trials are needed to prove its accuracy.

The researchers, led by scientists at University College London and University Medical Center Goettingen, in Germany, took blood samples from a group of people with Parkinson’s and another without.

They identified eight major proteins most likely to predict who would develop the condition.

These markers were directly linked to inflammation and degradation of proteins and could be used to develop new drug treatments for Parkinson’s, the researchers said.

The team then tested blood from 72 patients at risk of brain disorders such as Parkinson’s for those eight protein markers – and followed them up over 10 years.

Using the AI tool, they correctly predicted 16 would develop Parkinson’s – in some cases, up to seven years before symptoms began.

In total, the test predicted 79% would develop the disease – and the researchers are still following up other patients to confirm its accuracy.