As experts have noted it, Parkinson's disease has long been considered as a progressive disease of the nervous system marked by tremor, muscular rigidity, and slow, imprecise movement that is usually common in middle-aged and elderly people. Just recently, a team of Swedish research have found that a simple blood test could be an effective method at differentiating symptoms of Parkinson's disease from any forms of similar disorders. However, the research team has highly emphasized that it is not yet ready for clinical use as there needs to be polishing with the procedure yet.
Parkinson's Disease And Other Similar Forms
In one of their statements reported by CBC News, a significant number of neurologists say that in its early stages, Parkinson's is difficult to distinguish from rarer disorders. Other forms of similar condition, which is also dubbed as atypical parkinsonian disorders have been noted to have the ability to overlap symptoms that tend to worsen more quickly and are more likely to lead to death.
Furthermore, as of the press time, researchers are said to be on the move to hunt for biomarkers to help diagnosis these disorders. One potential biomarker that is currently being considered is a nerve protein that can be detected when nerve cells die. The said protein is believed to be higher in concentrations in spinal fluid collected by lumbar puncture. Consequently, medical scientists have also found the protein in less invasive blood tests.
Blood Test: An Early Detection Agent For Parkinson's Disease
Meanwhile, according to reports revealed by WebMD, a new study suggests that through measuring a particular blood protein, it is seen to have the ability of helping doctors to easily distinguish Parkinson's disease from some similar disorders. In the meantime, James Beck, vice president of scientific affairs for the Parkinson's Disease Foundation said that there is no blood test, brain scan or other objective measure that can definitively diagnose Parkinson's. However, despite the fact that Parkinson's disease can only be diagnosed with a clinical exam, Beck has highly emphasized that Parkinson's symptoms can be very similar to those of atypical parkinsonian disorders, or APDs especially in earlier stages, which can be determined by a simple blood test.
