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A group of researchers have developed a blood test that uses artificial intelligence to predict Parkinson's disease seven years before the onset of symptoms.
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremors, stiffness and slowness of movement and is the fastest growing neurological condition worldwide. Early diagnosis has proven to be a challenge, but new research is quite promising.
Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is now based on observation of movement-related symptoms. However, before they appear, significant damage has already occurred in the brain. But this new blood test could revolutionize the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Early detection will allow doctors to intervene before the disease progresses significantly, potentially slowing or even stopping its progression. The artificial intelligence-based test analyzes a panel of eight blood biomarkers that are altered in patients with Parkinson's disease. The researchers conducted a thorough screening of blood proteins to identify new biomarkers, and then selected those that had already been proposed in existing studies.
During a clinical trial, a machine learning algorithm achieved an amazing 100% accuracy in diagnosing the disease. The researchers then went further by examining the test's ability to predict the future progression of Parkinson's disease.
The study focused on patients with iRBD, a sleep behavior disorder in which people physically act out their dreams. About 75-80% of iRBD patients eventually develop synucleinopathy, a group of brain disorders characterized by the accumulation of the protein alpha-synuclein, which is associated with Parkinson's disease. The AI tool analyzed blood samples from these patients and found that 79% of the blood profiles of iRBD patients matched those of people with Parkinson's disease.
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Even more impressively, the researchers followed these patients for ten years. The AI predictions were correct: the team correctly identified 16 people who had developed Parkinson's disease, some as much as seven years before any symptoms appeared.
This extended follow-up period strengthens the test's validity and highlights its potential for early intervention.
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