A new study from King's College London upends conventional thinking about the origins of Parkinson's disease in the brain. The research reveals distinct changes in the brain's serotonin system can be identified up to 20 years before any Parkinson's symptoms appear, suggesting a new biomarker to detect the disease at its earliest stages. Many devastating neurodegenerative diseases take years to develop before any direct symptoms become apparent.
Parkinson's disease, in particular, is one neurodegenerative condition that some experts suggest would be more effectively treatable before symptoms are visible. The big challenge for researchers has been in finding effective biomarkers that signal the disease in its earliest pre-clinical stage. A large array of promising diagnostic methods have been floated in recent years, from blood and eye tests to a remarkable recent study suggesting a smell…
