A saliva gland test may help diagnose Parkinson’s disease according to a new study conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Banner Sun Health Research Institute. There are an estimated 1 million Americans with Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative condition that targets and destroys vital brain cells, affecting the body’s central nervous system. The physical effects of Parkinson’s in patients manifest in the form of uncontrollable body tremors, impaired balance, stiffness, and slowing of body reflexes.
There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, and existing diagnostic methods like blood exams, psychiatric evaluation, and MRIs do not provide patients early detection until there are significant irreversible psychical symptoms. However, new research indicates that conducting saliva gland test can help diagnose patients in earlier stages of this degenerative disease.
New Parkinson’s Diagnostic Method
During the research study, 25 individuals who had Parkinson’s for less than 5 years and 10 healthy patients were examined for phosphorylated alpha-synuclein, a protein that is linked to the early effects the disease. The research study procedure, transcutaneous submandibular gland biopsy, involves inserting a needle into the saliva gland located under the jaw, and extracting sample tissues present at the core for phosphorylated alpha-synuclein in the subjects with Parkinson’s and healthy patients. In previous research studies, saliva gland biopsies found this abnormal protein in 9 out of 12 patients with advanced stages of Parkinson’s.
Salivary Glands Diagram
The results of this new research study found that through this diagnostic method, the phosphorylated alpha-synuclein protein was present in 14 out of the 19-research study participants with early onset Parkinson’s.
The implications of this study pave way for further research to detect this degenerative disease earlier on to prevent progression. Current diagnostic methods can only detect the Parkinson’s in advanced stages, which can complicate treatment options in some cases. This new diagnostic method has the potential to provide doctors with data on how to effectively detect Parkinson’s in patients with no early physical symptoms. The results of the study could also advance clinical trials in larger population samples, giving biomedical pharmaceutical companies more insight for possible future treatment options.
For more information about Parkinson’s disease including symptoms, treatments and medications, visit our Parkinson’s Condition Page.
