Breakthrough by North-East researchers could lead to earlier diagnosis of Parkinson's

Breakthrough by North-East researchers could lead to earlier diagnosis of Parkinson's

1:00am Tuesday 15th January 2013 in News By Barry Nelson, Health Editor

A NEW study by North-East researchers could help earlier diagnosis of Parkinson 's disease.

While movement - motor - problems are the main symptom of Parkinson's, non-motor problems such as drooling, anxiety and bowel problems affect a large number of patients and begin sooner than previously thought.

Earlier diagnosis could lead to earlier treatment and allow patients to have a better quality of life.

In the study, published in the journal Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, researchers from Newcastle University compared 159 people with newly-diagnosed Parkinson's disease to 99 people of similar ages who did not have the disease.

Participants were asked whether they experienced any of the 30 non-motor symptoms screened for, including sexual problems, sleep problems and gastrointestinal problems.

Study author Dr Tien K. Khoo said: "Often people don't even mention these symptoms to their doctors, and doctors don't ask about them, yet many times they can be treated effectively."

The people with Parkinson's disease had an average of eight of the non-motor problems, compared to three non-motor symptoms for the people who did not have the disease.

Among the most common symptoms for those with Parkinson's disease included drooling, urinary urgency, constipation, anxiety and a reduced sense of smell.

Read more:
Breakthrough by North-East researchers could lead to earlier diagnosis of Parkinson's