Hi Everyone,

Have you seen this? It was posted on PLWP2.

New cost-effective Parkinson's disease test
MELBOURNE, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Australian scientists have developed a
diagnostic test for Parkinson's disease, which will also help
researchers understand its genetics.

Currently there is no specific Parkinson's disease diagnostic test,
and doctors rely on their observations to make a diagnosis, which
means some patients may not be prescribed the most suitable
medication and around 15 percent of those diagnosed may actually be
suffering from something else, says research leader Dr. Justin Rubio
of the Howard Florey Institute in Melbourne.

Conventional DNA sequencing of all six known Parkinson's disease
genes is available, but this test costs $3,166 and is not covered by
Medicare.

Rubio's team has created a "gene-sequencing chip" that screens 17
genes in all, including the six known Parkinson's disease genes plus
some other suspects in one simple test that costs $395.

© Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc.

their is a discussion about it in my group.

There is also another test developed by a Australian researcher that diagnoses PD by a specific protein as I recall. It is being licensed for use by a German company.
I have not seen any statistics regarding its accuracy.
it is a relatively simple blood test.

Charlie

The only accuracy test I can think of is post mortum. Could take awhile.
If you accept the implied concession that all Parkinson's is caused by genetics only, the test is true. Personally I don't believe everyone's symptoms is neccessarily gene related, as much as I support gene research, having mutations myself.

Vicky

how little we know about PD!!
This test evidently will enable doctors to diagnose PD muuch earlier. It has something to do with an excess protein that all Parkies have.
A question for you...do you still have a sense of smell??
most of us "non-gene" suffers do not have one, but it appears that those who get it gentically keep theirs. This supposition is the result of a very unscientific poll I am conducting.

This might be a clue as to which kind one has.
In an event it is interesting stuff. We keep chipping away at the answer.

Sorry about your shoulder. Did you get an ultrasound of it??
As you know we DBS'ers are prohibited from full body MRI's. I think as long as you stay at 1.5 Tesla or below your risk is minimal. Oh well, better to err on the conservative side of things!!

Charlie

Hi Charlie,

I remember reading a study that stated that those with a genetic cause will have nomal olfactory functioning. Since I can still smell my dog's silent yet deadly toots, I suspect my olfactory functioning is intact.

By the way, I have a third sister (the older of the three sisters,) with no signs of Parkinson's disease. I suspect she could also have the same DNA mutations as my sister and I. Once more, the tests of DNA may estimate a higher risk factor, but not a diagnosis.

LOL.
Vicky

In the UK and Europe DaTSCAN is used for diagnosis, reckoned to be 98% accurate.

Hi Bob,

I have also had an Fdopascan at Mt. Zion which also has 98% accuracy. Between the moderately advanced results of that test and the Parkin mutations I think I can be pretty sure of my diagnosis. About as sure as anyone can be.

It doesn't make anyone elses diagnosis less significant, since these days, it is not the disease that is being treated, but the symptoms. The way my symptoms are treated are no different than someone with idiopathic Parkinson's. Diagnosing tools are as important as treatment. I have been saying this for years, that it is important to develop better diagnostic tools before telling a patient he has a life sentence of Parkinson's Disease.

The current diagnosis format is open for questioning at any time. After 10 years of believing my diagnosis, I went for a DBS screening, the only available facility at the time, and was not even allowed to talk to the neurosurgeon because the neurologist diagnosed me with a pschiatric disorder. It was not until after the above mentioned tests were performed that I was allowed the DBS.

How many patients have also had their original diagnosis questioned, and not been able to afford the above two tests? I was one of the lucky ones.

Love,
Vicky