(Ben Taub/ IFL Science) — One of the biggest barriers to treating Parkinson’s disease is the fact that the disorder has no known cause, meaning it can’t be diagnosed until symptoms begin to appear. Yet that could be about to change, thanks to new research that has identified a key early warning sign that could allow doctors to identify those at risk of the disease up to 20 years before its effects are felt.
People who suffer from Parkinson’s tend to display a build-up of a protein called α-synuclein in the brain. It is almost impossible to predict whether someone will develop this protein accumulation, although a tiny number of people actually have a genetic mutation that makes them extremely susceptible to this.
Researchers managed to track down 14 people with the relevant mutation to the SNCA gene, which is believed to have its roots in the Peloponnese in Greece, later being carried to parts of Italy. Of these, seven already suffered from the physical symptoms of Parkinson’s, while the other seven did not. (…)