Posted on 07/18/2025 5:28:56 PM PDT by nickcarraway
— Two early studies suggest volatile components of sebum may help identify Parkinson's
Key Takeaways:
-Trained dogs detected Parkinson's via sebum swabs with up to 80% sensitivity and 98% specificity.
-Mass spectrometry of sebum distinguished isolated REM sleep behavior disorder from Parkinson's patients and healthy controls.
-The findings are early and may lead to a molecular method to diagnose prodromal Parkinson's.
Two early studies suggested that sebum may help identify Parkinson's disease.
In the first paper, two dogs trained to distinguish sebum swabs from people with and without Parkinson's disease demonstrated sensitivity of up to 80% and specificity of up to 98%, reported Nicola Rooney, PhD, of the University of Bristol in England, and colleagues in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease.opens in a new tab or window
In the second study, mass spectrometry analysis of volatile components of sebum showed that people with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) -- an early sign of Parkinson's -- had chemical profiles that distinguished them from healthy controls, but they were not as pronounced as those of people with established Parkinson's disease.
The study used thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry which revealed that 55 significant features in sebum varied among the groups, said Perdita Barran, PhD, of the University of Manchester in England, and co-authors in npj Parkinson's Diseaseopens in a new tab or window.
There currently is no early test for Parkinson's disease, the researchers noted.
"This is the first study to demonstrate a molecular diagnostic method for Parkinson's disease at the prodromal or early stage," Barran said in a statement. "It brings us one step closer to a future where a simple, non-invasive skin swab could help identify people at risk before symptoms arise allowing for earlier intervention and improved outcomes."
Both studies were inspired by co-author and "super-smeller" Joy Milneopens in a new tab or window, a nurse with hyperosmia who noticed that people with different diseases had different smells -- including her husband, who developed Parkinson's disease. In recent years, Milne, a research associate at the University of Manchester, and Barran worked together to identify molecules that give Parkinson's its smell.
The mass spectrometry study evaluated samples from 46 people with clinically established Parkinson's disease, nine people with iRBD, and 28 controls. In this cohort, Milne's olfactory abilities also distinguished swabs with sebum from iRBD patients from those of Parkinson's patients and controls. She detected both diseases in two swabs from people with iRBD who were later diagnosed with Parkinson's at their next clinical appointment.
In the double-blind dog trial, Bumper, a golden retriever, and Peanut, a black Labrador, were trained by the charity Medical Detection Dogs to distinguish between dry skin swabs obtained from people with Parkinson's disease and controls. After training for 38-53 weeks on 205 samples, the dogs were tested using samples from 60 controls and 40 drug-naïve Parkinson's patients. The dogs correctly identified 70% and 80% of the Parkinson's samples and ignored 90% and 98% of the control samples.
"We are extremely proud to say that once again, dogs can very accurately detect disease," co-author Claire Guest, MSc, HonDSc, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Medical Detection Dogs, stated.
Sebum is easy to collect using gauze swabs on the face or upper back, the researchers pointed out. Earlier findings showed it does not need to be storedopens in a new tab or window in the same cold conditions as other biofluids like blood, reducing costs.
The findings of both studies are early but add to the growing body of evidence showing that skin swabs can help identify Parkinson's disease, the researchers noted.
"Our goal is to develop a reliable, non-invasive test that helps doctors detect Parkinson's earlier, track its progression, and ultimately improve patient outcomes," co-author Drupad Trivedi, PhD, of the University of Manchester, said.
Judy George covers neurology and neuroscience news for MedPage Today, writing about brain aging, Alzheimer’s, dementia, MS, rare diseases, epilepsy, autism, headache, stroke, Parkinson’s, ALS, concussion, CTE, sleep, pain, and more.
Until there is an effective treatment this is of little value and may cause early depression before symptoms show themselves.
The disease is bad enough when it hits.
My wife is dying of it now.
Did the dogs detect Parkinson’s, or the swabs that smelled most like bacon?
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