There currently is no single âtestâ to diagnose Parkinsonâs disease. Instead, doctors must evaluate symptoms like shaking, tremor, stiffness and balance issues, common symptoms of other conditions when diagnosing the disease. In its early stages, a correct diagnosis is particularly difficult. But a new study explores the possibility that Parkinsonâs disease may be diagnosable before visible symptoms appear due to its signature smell.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
A new study published earlier this month in the journal ACS Central Science looked at the sebum of 43 people with Parkinsonâs disease and 21 people without. Sebum is a waxy substance secreted by the skin that people with Parkinsonâs tend to secrete more of. The sebum was evaluated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Researchers found three compounds that appeared at higher-than-average levels among people with Parkinsonâs disease: eicosane, hippuric acid and octadecanal. They also found a fourth compound, perillic aldehyde, that appeared at lower-than-average levels.
These compounds are notable because they are all associated with a distinctive âParkinsonâs smell,â described as a âwoody, musky odorâ by a woman named Joy Milne. She first became known to researchers at a lecture about Parkinsonâs disease in 2012, during which she stood up and asked Tito Kunath, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, why they werenât âdoing something about the fact that people with Parkinsonâs smell.â
Intrigued, Kunath and Perdita Barran, professor of mass spectrometry at the University of Manchester (who became the lead author on the study) tracked Milne down and discovered that she is a âsuper smeller,â or someone who has a highly developed sense of smell. Her now-late husband had Parkinsonâs disease, and she had noticed the odor on him 12 years before he was diagnosed. At a patient support group, she discovered everyone there had the same smell.
Kunath tested her sense of smell by giving her 12 shirts worn by people with and without Parkinsonâs disease. She correctly identified all six shirts worn by people with Parkinsonâs, and also identified one shirt that belonged to someone who was diagnosed with Parkinsonâs eight months later.
For Barranâs study, Milne helped confirm which chemicals made up the Parkinsonâs smell. The Guardian reported that Milne can also smell other conditions: Alzheimerâs smells like vanilla, and cancer smells earthy.
After the results of the latest study, researchers are working on developing a diagnostic test and training dogs to learn the scent. An earlier Parkinsonâs diagnosis means the potential for earlier treatment and more time to develop the right support and lifestyle strategies.
If youâre newly diagnosed with Parkinsonâs disease or suspect you might have it, there is support out there for you. Check out these articles for guidance from others who are living with Parkinsonâs disease:
Getty photo by vladans
Erin is the former senior editor and chronic illness editor of The Mighty. She joined The Mighty in 2015 and previously worked at Inside Weddings magazine, Mic, and The Huffington Post. She was also the features editor at The California Aggie, UC Davis' student newspaper. She is honored to be a part of the Mighty community!
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