Hope for Diagnosing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

Marp2 · ‎01-31-2012

Skin biopsies could help reveal information about Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, according to a new study.

The biopsies can detect elevated levels of abnormal proteins associated with the diseases.

For the study, researchers took biopsies from 20 people with Alzheimer's disease, 16 with Parkinson's and 17 with dementia caused by other conditions and compared them to 12 healthy people of about the same age.

Both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's sufferers had seven times higher levels of the tau protein, while those with Parkinson's also had an eight times higher level of alpha-synuclein protein compared to the control group.

"This new test offers a potential biomarker that may allow doctors to identify and diagnose these diseases earlier on," said study author Ildefonso Rodriguez-Leyva, MD, at Central Hospital at the University of San Luis Potosi in Mexico.

The study will be presented in April at the American Academy of Neurology's 67th Annual Meeting in Washington DC.

http://news.yahoo.com/skin-test-could-help-diagnose-alzheimers-115807124.html

kdgn · ‎03-09-2010

This has the potential to be really big news!

Mj12 · ‎03-09-2010

Wouldn't that be fantastic Marp - to identify & diagnose earlier on, all from a skin test? Amazing. thank you!

Lion · ‎03-09-2010

What wonderful news! I think we've all been touched in some way by these horrible diseases.

**********
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dmod nj · ‎10-04-2011

Marp, thank you for sharing this news.

Amazing!! Fingers crossed.

You can take the girl out of Jersey, but you can't take Jersey out of the girl. Jersey Girl living in CNY.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

It's interesting but it's just a one single study. We're a long, long way from breaking out the champagne.

Mj12 · ‎03-09-2010

On 2/25/2015 chrystaltree said:
It's interesting but it's just a one single study. We're a long, long way from breaking out the champagne.

Obviously. But it's still good news. I'm happy for any progress on this.

Burnsite · ‎03-10-2010

That is very encouraging news, though it will be a hard diagnosis for a still-healthy person to hear.

Yet finding Alzheimers at an earlier stage might lead to medications and treatments that are more effective.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

On 2/25/2015 MJ 12 said:
On 2/25/2015 chrystaltree said:
It's interesting but it's just a one single study. We're a long, long way from breaking out the champagne.

Obviously. But it's still good news. I'm happy for any progress on this.

My point is there has been no progress. A single study means absolutely nothing at all. And it was just small one at that. It only becomes "promising" after other researchers have repeated the study and obtained the same results with much larger study participants. This study is only being published so that other researchers can take notice and conduct there own studies. There might be nothing to it at all.

luvdoodles · ‎06-19-2010

My father had both. First diagnosed Parkinsons in his 50's then early onset of Alzheimers in his early 60''s. He passed away at 69. I don't care if it is just one clinical trial, any info we can find on these two horrible diseases may help someone. Trust me, if you have ever seen someone go through this and their caregivers you cling onto any sliver of hope.