A study by researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix,
Arizona, and Banner Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City, Arizona suggests
saliva gland test could become a new way to test for early Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson’s
disease is a progressive degenerative disorder of the central nervous
system mainly affecting the motor system. It may gradually develop with a barely
noticeable tremor in just one hand. But while a tremor may be the most
well-known sign of Parkinson's disease, the disorder also commonly causes
stiffness or slowing of movement. It also affects sleep, balance, blood
pressure and smell.
The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from the death of
dopamine-generating cells in the brain. Death of brain cells occur
primarily in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra, a region in the
midbrain. There is no cure for Parkinson’s, but medications can help control
symptoms, often dramatically. In some later cases, surgery may be advised. The
disease mostly affects older people, although around 4% of cases are diagnosed
before the age of 50 years. Men are in one and a half times higher risk for the
disease than women. [Read more Cancer
drug may protect against Alzheimer’s, say scientists]
According to Parkinson’s disease Foundation (PDF), a million
Americans may be living with the disease, and around 60,000 new cases are
diagnosed each year, while thousands remain undetected.
In 2009, an estimated 126,893 cases of Parkinson’s disease
were reported in the UK.
Currently there is no test available to diagnose Parkinson’s
disease accurately. Doctors usually check medical history, signs and symptoms,
perform neurological examination etc. to diagnose the disease.
For
the study, the researchers wanted to see
if a procedure termed "transcutaneous submandibular gland biopsy" could
provide an answer. The procedure extracts a core of gland tissue by inserting a
needle into a salivary gland under the jaw. [Read more Top
5 Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids]They were looking for a protein in the cells that could indicate early Parkinson's disease. They took the biopsies from one salivary gland to test for it. In their earlier tests, the same biopsy could detect abnormal protein in 9 out of 12 patients with advanced Parkinson's.
They recruited 25 patients for the new test. These people had the disease for less than 5 years. They also recruited 10 healthy individuals as the control group. [Read more The power of music: It relieves pain during and after surgery]
Of the 25 patients, 19 had sufficient tissue for the study. The researchers tested the biopsied tissues to see if they contained the Parkinson's protein. The results were then compared with those of the healthy control group. [ওজন কমাতে প্রতিদিন আপনার কতটুকু কার্বোহাইড্রেট খাওয়া উচিৎ?]
The protein was found to be present in 14 out of 19 patients.
Study co-author Dr. Thomas Beach, PhD, a neuropathologist
with Banner Sun Health Research Institute, said:
Study author Dr. Charles Adler, PhD, neurologist and professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic, said that using submandibular gland biopsies to test for early Parkinson's disease may help many people because, currently, testing after 10 years gives a far more reliable diagnosis than early testing.
The researchers hope that further studies will increase understanding of the disease and help develop better treatments. [Read more High levels of harmful chemical phthalates detected in people who eat fast food]
The study was published in the journal Movement Disorders.
