Blood Test Diagnoses and Monitors Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

A simple test is being developed to diagnose Parkinson's disease (PD) before symptoms appear by measuring the levels of a protein in blood. A genetic test has also been created for PD (10% of PD cases are caused by genetic factors).

Dr. Qiao-Xin Li and colleagues from The University of Melbourne (Melbourne, Australia) and The Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria (MHRI; Melbourne, Australia), along with Prof. Malcolm Horne from the Howard Florey Institute (Melbourne, Australia), found people with PD had low levels of the brain-secreted protein alpha-synuclein in their blood, while people without PD had high levels of the protein.

Prof Horne said the test they developed measured alpha-synuclein levels in blood.
Currently there is no specific PD diagnostic test so doctors rely on their observations to make a diagnosis, which means some patients may not be prescribed the most suitable medication and around 15% of those diagnosed may actually be suffering from something else, Prof. Horne said. Further studies are required to establish whether this test can distinguish between people who are responsive to treatment and those who are not.

The researchers are now conducting a large-scale study to determine the effectiveness of the test, to discover whether it is applicable for all types of PD, and to find out if it can measure the rate of progression and severity of the disease. If the results of our large-scale study are encouraging, this test could be available for clinical use within the next two years, Prof. Horne said. We are now refining the test to make it quicker and cheaper so it can be offered to all those who have or are at risk of developing PD. While the clinical outcomes for this test will be significant, it also opens up new avenues of PD research and drug development.”

Further research using this test will also help us better understand the many different forms of PD and work towards ways to prevent or delay the disease. The test will also ensure drug trial participants actually have PD so research outcomes will be statistically more valid, which paves the way for faster and more effective drug development. When drugs that modify disease progression are available, this test may also help in showing whether candidate drugs are having an effect on the disease by keeping alpha-synuclein levels close to normal, Prof. Horne said.

This research was recently published in the April 2007 issue of the journal Experimental Neurology.

The Howard Florey Institute is Australia's leading brain research center. Its scientists undertake clinical and applied research that can be developed into treatments to combat brain disorders, and new medical practices. The Florey's research areas cover a variety of brain and mind disorders including Parkinson's disease, stroke, motor neuron disease, addiction, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's disease, and dementia.


Related Links:
The University of Melbourne
The Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria
Howard Florey Institute