Scientists close to finding early diagnosis of Parkinson's

Kounteya Sinha
[28 Apr, 2007 l 0041 hrs ISTlTIMES NEWS NETWORK]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/H...ow/1969157.cms

NEW DELHI: Scientists are close to developing the world's first test to diagnose Parkinson's disease even before the debilitating symptoms start to appear.

Researchers from Howard Florey Institute, University of Melbourne and the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, Australia, have found that people with the degenerative neurological disease had significantly lower levels of a brain-secreted protein, Alpha-Synuclein, in their blood than healthy people.

This has led the team to believe that a simple blood test measuring the levels of the protein could accurately predict and diagnose Parkinson's.

The team, which published its findings in the journal ‘Experimental Neurology' and includes Dr Qiao-Xin Li from
University of Melbourne and the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria and Prof Malcolm Horne from the Howard Florey Institute, is now embarking on a large scale trial to check how accurate the findings are.

Over 300 people, half of them suffering from Parkinson's, are being enlisted to study the relationship between the stage and severity of disease and levels of Alpha-Synuclein.

If successful, the test will replace the present day wait-and-see approach most sufferers are subjected to. The team said: "We don't know the exact relationship but this protein is either an early casualty in the damage or its dysfunction is in some way responsible for the disease.

If the results of our large-scale study are encouraging, this test could be available for clinical use within two years. We are now refining the test to make it quicker and cheaper so it can be offered to all those who have or are at risk of developing Parkinson's".

Dr Alok Gupta, founder of the Parkinson's Foundation of India, says only clinical diagnosis is presently done to detect the disease. No diagnostic tests are presently available to correctly predict Parkinson's. "We rely on symptoms — muscle rigidity, tremor in limbs, slowing of physical movement and subtle language problems to show — before an MRI is done".

Several patients therefore aren't prescribed the most suitable medication and 15% of those diagnosed may actually be suffering from some other diseases that mimic Parkinson's.

Earlier thought to be a disease appearing mostly in people in their 60s, Parkinson's is now affecting more and more patients in their late 30s.

Doctors in India say till recently, less than 3% of Indians suffering from Parkinson's were in their 30s and 40s. The number has now easily crossed 10%.

Gupta says: "Over the last five years, lifestyle has emerged as one of the main causes for Parkinson's. In India, 360 people per lakh suffer from the disease, which has no known cause and no cure. Over 5% of those over 60 are afflicted. Jet-setting modern-day lifestyle, increased stress, improper diet and inadequate sleep are some of the main reasons along with genetic, environmental toxins and drug-induced factors that cause Parkinson's".

kounteya.sinha@timesgroup.com