UA new blood test promises a very early diagnosis of Parkinson’s, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence
Identifying the early symptoms of Parkinson’s, as early as seven years before they appear, now seems possible, thanks to a revolutionary blood test. It was developed by two medical teams, one English and one German, with a study in which researchers from the University of Bologna and the Institute of Neurological Sciences of the Emilian capital also collaborated.
The new test to discover Parkinson’s
The new test for the early – or rather very early – diagnosis of Parkinson’s is based onblood analysis. In particular, he analyzes eight molecules that could act as “alarm bells” because, if present in concentrations different from the physiological ones, they would indicate the presence of the disease. According to researchers at University College London and the University Medical Center of Goettingen in Germany who conducted the study, the accuracy of the exam would be 100%. In short, no false positives or negatives.
Sleep analysis using AI
The innovation, which contributes to the accuracy of Parkinson’s diagnosis and the definition of early therapies, was made possible thanks to the use of artificial intelligence. AI, in fact, has made it possible to analyze a large quantity of so-called “biomarkers” quickly. In this specific case, the tests were conducted on 72 people suffering from REM sleep behavior disorder, which often leads to Parkinson’s and is also linked to other dementias, such as Alzheimer’s. It emerged that in almost 8 out of 10 cases (79% of participants) the profile of the subjects analyzed was identical to that of people suffering from Parkinson’s. Monitoring has continued for 10 years and so far the AI’s predictions have proven correct.
The importance of AI against Parkinson’s
«The use of artificial intelligence can make an important contribution in this field, because it allows the machine to be programmed by providing certain indices to analyze, and then proceeding very quickly to examine a very high quantity of information, in this case biomarkers» , confirms Simona Cintoli, collaborating psychologist at the Institute of Neuroscience of the CNR of Pisa and the Center for cognitive disorders and dementia of the AOUP Neurology of Pisa. «Certainly, therefore, this is an important discovery, the accuracy of which will now have to be constantly verified», adds the expert.
Parkinson’s diagnosis getting earlier and earlier
“As new therapies become available to treat Parkinson’s, we need to diagnose patients before they develop symptoms,” explained Kevin Mills of University College London and coordinator of the research, published in the journal Nature Communications, together with Brit Mollenhauer from the Goettingen Centre. «We can’t regrow our brain cells and so we need to protect the ones we have. At the moment, however, we close the stable door after the horses have now escaped. We need to start treatments much earlier.”
Increasingly longer treatments over time
The fact of being able to anticipate the diagnosis, in fact, is positive because it also allows you to anticipate treatments, not only pharmacological ones, which however become increasingly longer over time. «If a person receives the diagnosis of a type of pathology such as Parkinson’s, they must then be followed up with specific management, from a clinical point of view and beyond. AI helps in initial diagnostics, but neurodegenerative diseases are chronic and the path a patient faces becomes long. If the disease is discovered at 40 or 50 years of age, in fact, the disease – precisely because the person is healthy from a clinical point of view for other pathologies – will then have to follow a wide-ranging treatment over time», underlines Cintoli.
The importance of the human factor: caregivers
In the absence of definitive pharmacological treatments, in fact, the human factor remains fundamental. «Technology helps us in diagnosis, to reduce and anticipate times, but once the accuracy of the diagnosis itself has been ascertained, human support cannot be ignored. And even today this comes from caregivers, or rather from caregivers, because they are mostly women» clarifies the expert. «We hold special courses for these figures who are mainly female. Aside from the fact that the incidence of the pathology is higher among women, also because it is linked to life expectancy, but women are also generally more inclined to talk about themselves and take care of their loved ones when they are ill.”
Parkinson’s numbers
Today Parkinson’s strikes almost 10 thousand people around the world. Even though a specific cure is not available, we are moving towards the administration of preventative therapies. The aim is to slow down the damage caused by the disease as much as possible. Among the symptoms there are both cerebral and motor ones. “On a physical level, there are mainly neuromuscular disorders, such as rigidity and balance problems, but Parkinson’s dementia can also lead to cognitive difficulties”, concludes the expert.
