Parkinson’s disease, associated with region of the brain pictured above, may be identifiable by its unique odorous properties, thanks to the observations of one woman and the efforts of scientists at Edinburgh University. (Source: Blausen.com staff. “Blausen gallery 2014”. Wikiversity Journal of Medicine. DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 20018762)
There has been a promising development in the attempt to understand and diagnose Parkinson’s disease thanks to one woman and her sense of smell. Joy Milne, a woman from Perth, Scotland, has attracted the attention of the scientific community by her ability to “smell” Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s is a debilitating neurological disease often associated with uncontrollable tremors and stiffness in the same muscles (1). It is correlated with damage to neurons in the substantia nigra, a region of the brain that usually influences actions related to movement, reward, and risk (1).
Milne’s husband died of the disease this past June, 20 years after his diagnosis at the age of 45 (2). However, she first noticed that he seemed to possess a unique smell roughly six years before his diagnosis. Milne describes this odor as a “heavy, slightly musky aroma,” although she adds that it is “hard to describe” (3). She also notes that the arrival of this new smell “wasn’t all of a sudden” and was “very subtle” (2).
Milne only connected this smell with Parkinson’s disease when she met others diagnosed with the disease at a charity (2). She “had no idea that this was unusual and hadn’t been recognized before” but nevertheless happened to mention this to scientists, who were immediately intrigued (3). Scientists at Edinburgh University used a formal study to test her smelling ability.
In this study, the scientists selected a total of 12 subjects: six with Parkinson’s and six without. They then collected t-shirts worn by the subjects for one day, stored them in bags, and presented them to Milne, who accurately identified the six Parkinson’s patients (2).
However, Milne adamantly claimed that one patient from the control group (no Parkinson’s) had this smell. Eight months later, this subject in question was in fact diagnosed with Parkinson’s (2).
The team of scientists hypothesizes that this unique smell is transmitted through sebum, an oily, waterproof fluid secreted to lubricate and protect the skin (1). The idea is that the sebum of those with Parkinson’s disease contains a unique chemical with odorous properties (1).
To test this hypothesis, the researchers are preparing for a large-scale study aimed to include 200 subjects, with and without Parkinson’s (3). The researchers plan to swab the skin of these participants in order to collect sebum, which they will then examine for specific molecules common to all samples, suggesting the presence of the disease and a possible pathway towards early and reliable diagnosis (3).
References:
- This Woman Can Smell Parkinson’s Disease. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2015, from http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/woman-who-can-smell-parkinsons-disease-inspires-new-research
- Scotl, E. Q. B., & news. (n.d.). The woman who can smell Parkinson’s disease. Retrieved October 24, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-34583642
- Woman Can “Smell” Parkinson’s. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2015, from http://news.discovery.com/human/health/woman-can-smell-parkinsons-151022.htm