Biomarkers from cerebral spinal fluid via spinal taps
 

http://www.latimes.com//health/la-he...,7197488.story

"...Schwarzschild and his colleagues have already discovered one interesting chemical in the CSF [cerebral spinal fluid]of people with Parkinson's: urate, an antioxidant that may protect brain cells. In 2009, the scientists reported that, on average, people with plenty of urate in the CSF and blood tend to have a slower progression of Parkinson's than people with low urate levels.

That does not necessarily mean that urate levels are a direct cause or consequence of Parkinson's, Schwarzschild notes, and it is too soon to use urate alone to predict the course of disease. But he is now treating people with urate supplements in a small clinical trial to see if the treatment is safe and if it boosts urate levels in the blood and CSF of people with Parkinson's. If so, researchers will probably study whether urate supplements slow Parkinson's..."