A Tiny Part Of A Whole

You may remember that last year I completed a Parkinson's Diseasesmell test, which ultimately led to me heading to Chicago to have a diagnostic imaging test. (And ultimately learned that although I didn't meet the requirements to continue in the in-person study I could continue as a volunteer in the online portion.)

Last week the study was showcased in the newsletter of the PPMI (Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative). It was interesting to read the details of something I had been a tiny part of.

"Research has found that smell loss is an important indicator of brain health. PPMI recruited people aged 60 years or older who did not have a PD (Parkinson's Disease) diagnosis to take a smell test. Over 49,000 people received the smell test. 63 percent of people who received the smell test completed it. 27 percent of people who completed the smell test had low scores, meaning they showed signs of smell loss (hyposmia). Those who showed signs of smell loss were then invited to take a brain scan (DAT scan) to look for signs of reduced dopamine activity in the brain, which is often used to help diagnose PD.

In study results, PPMI investigators found that the worse someone’s sense of smell was, the more likely they were to have an abnormal brain scan. Among the people who took a brain scan, 69 percent showed signs that could lead to early Parkinson’s. Over half of the people who had smell loss and abnormal brain scans also tested positive for alpha-synuclein in the SAA test. Findings from this study show that testing for smell loss may be one of the best tools to find people in the earliest stages of PD. This could help researchers screen for early PD prevention trials and develop better tests and treatments."

If you'd like to get into the detail weeds you can read more here.

Five years ago today: The Assistant