Neurodegenerative diseases, identified before symptoms appear. How the test works

Researchers in Barcelona, ​​Spain, claim to have identified a possible biomarker that could predict the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and dementia with Lewy bodies before cognitive and physical symptoms become apparent.

These researchers found that damaged mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecules can be present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood of patients with rapid eye movement behavior disorder (IRBD), which is often associated with progression to Parkinson’s or dementia with Lewy bodies.

While these findings appear promising, the researchers emphasize that more research is needed to confirm these results and to better understand the role of damaged mtDNA in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, other possible causes and risk factors associated with these conditions should be explored.

“These specific markers floating in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) precede most of the physical and cognitive symptoms of Parkinson’s and dementia, potentially giving individuals more time to prepare for or even one day prevent the conditions.

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Unfortunately, most of the external symptoms of Parkinson’s do not show up until most of the dopamine neurons have already been damaged, and the characteristic protein clusters called Lewy bodies are not helpful in living patients because they can only be checked at autopsy.

An early form of diagnosis is desperately needed to stop or slow down the disease before it gets worse. Now, researchers believe they have discovered an early biomarker in the blood related to how cells release energy.

In human cells, including neurons, not all DNA is enclosed in the nucleus. The part of a cell that generates energy, the mitochondria, has its own genetic material, called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which comes only from your mother.

However, mitochondria are busy little energy factories that also produce waste products in the form of reactive oxygen species, or free radicals, which can be toxic if not properly removed and recycled,” the researchers note, according to The Lancet.

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Neurodegenerative diseases – PHOTO: Freepik@vecstock

Research, essential for the development of new treatments

However, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases could provide important insights for the development of more effective diagnostic and treatment methods in the future. It is essential that these findings are subjected to rigorous testing and evaluated in the wider context of scientific health research.

This correlation suggests that mtDNA dysfunction could be “a critical molecular mechanism in the early stages of neuronal degeneration.”

For years, scientists have worked to develop early tests based on blood, skin swabs and eye scans to diagnose Parkinson’s before it causes motor and cognitive decline. And while no reliable screening test has yet hit the market, with each study, experts are getting closer to that possibility.

The emerging link between brain energy metabolism and Parkinson’s provides some of the most promising clues yet.

The study was published in The Lancet.

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