A BLOOD test could reveal if someone is going to develop Parkinson’s years
before symptoms appear, say researchers in Australia. It could also give us more
clues about the causes of the disorder.
At the moment, Parkinson’s can be diagnosed only after signs such as
slowness, stiffness and tremor appear. Even then, a post-mortem examination of
the brain is needed for a definite diagnosis.
These symptoms are caused mainly by the loss of dopamine-producing nerve
cells in a part of the brain that controls movement. The new test looks for the
presence of antibodies that mop up neuromelanin, one of…
