VARIOUS NATIONAL MEDIA: Smell of skin could lead to early diagnosis for Parkinson's

    Press/Media: Research

    Description

    Scientists at The University of Manchester have found small molecules contained in a substance secreted by the skin, known as sebum, that are responsible for a unique scent in people with Parkinson’s.

    The results could lead to the development of an early diagnosis test for the neurodegenerative disorder. At present there are no definitive diagnostic tests currently available.

    https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/smell-of-skin-could-lead-to-early-diagnosis-for-parkinsons/

    *WIDELY REPORTED, INCLUDING BBC NEWS OUTLETS*

    Period20 Mar 2019

    Media coverage

    4

    Media coverage

    • TitleScience behind the smell of Parkinson´s discovered by researchers
      Media name/outletMail Online
      Media typeWeb
      Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
      Date20/03/19
      DescriptionA Scottish woman’s ability to smell Parkinson’s disease has led scientists to identify what causes the telltale odour, raising hopes for a new early diagnosis tool.

      Joy Milne, a retired nurse from Perth, said she detected a subtle change in how her late husband Les smelled prior to him being diagnosed with the progressive neurological condition.

      The 68-year-old described it as a “musky” scent and approached a researcher at a Parkinson’s UK lecture.

      A Manchester University study inspired by her apparent ability to smell a substance associated with the condition began in 2015 and the findings are now being published in the journal ACS Central Science.
      URLhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-6829415/Science-smell-Parkinson-s-discovered-researchers.html
      PersonsPerdita Barran
    • Title'Super-smeller' helps develop swab test for Parkinson's disease
      Media name/outletThe Guardian
      Media typeWeb
      Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
      Date20/03/19
      DescriptionScientists have developed a test for Parkinson’s disease based on its signature odour after teaming up with a woman who can smell the condition before tremors and other clinical symptoms appear.

      The test could help doctors diagnose patients sooner and identify those in the earliest stages of the disease, who could benefit from experimental drugs that aim to protect brain cells from being killed off.
      URLhttps://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/mar/20/super-smeller-helps-develop-swab-test-for-parkinsons-disease
      PersonsPerdita Barran
    • TitleWoman capable of sniffing out Parkinson’s disease offers hope for new diagnosis method
      Media name/outletThe Independent
      Media typeWeb
      Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
      Date20/03/19
      DescriptionA woman’s astonishing ability to sniff out Parkinson’s disease has raised hopes for a new tool to diagnose the devastating condition.

      Joy Milne, a retired nurse from Perth in Scotland, noticed a “musky” smell from her husband Les before he was diagnosed with the neurological disease in 1985.

      Now scientists have managed to track down what initially triggered the tell-tale odour.
      URLhttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/parkinsons-disease-symptoms-smell-woman-diagnosis-health-a8831261.html
      PersonsPerdita Barran
    • TitleParkinson's smell test explained by science
      Media name/outletBBC News Online
      Media typeWeb
      Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
      Date20/03/19
      DescriptionA Scottish woman who astonished doctors with her ability to detect Parkinson's disease through smell has helped scientists find what causes the odour.

      Researchers in Manchester said they had identified the molecules on the skin linked to the smell and hope it could lead to early detection.
      URLhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-47627179
      PersonsPerdita Barran

    Keywords

    • Parkinson's
    • mass spectrometry