Can Parkinson’s be detected very early in development? According to researchers from Australia, with the help of the test they have developed, it is possible. What does the examination look like?
A system developed by scientists at RMIT University in Melbourne explores how quickly we connect individual points that, when connected, resemble a snail shell. Thanks to a special marker and graphic program, the system evaluates, among others, the strength of pressure, the way we put individual signs. He is sensitive enough to pick up small differences and tremors that may indicate that the brain is starting to develop changes typical of Parkinson’s disease.
According to the researchers, people who, during the connection of points, e.g. reduce the pressure, may in the future suffer from the so-called bardykinesia, i.e. slowing down of movement causing muscle stiffness, trembling hands, and disturbances in gait and posture, typical of people with parkinson’s disease.
93 percent certainty
A simple method checks in over 90 percent. cases. In the opinion of specialists, the test should be included in the set of mandatory tests that doctors order middle-aged people. Thus, it will be possible to detect the disease at a very early stage and – perhaps – protect the patient from irreversible brain damage.
Worldwide, 10 million people suffer from Parkinson’s disease. Worse, there are no laboratory tests that can help you make a quick diagnosis. The vast majority of patients find out about the disease too late, when the possibilities of medicine have been practically exhausted. Does the Australian scientists test have a chance to change that? Time will tell.