The woman who detects Parkinson's disease with smell
We know Parkinson's disease as that physical disability of being able to move and talk normally. One of the main problems that Parkinson , is to be able to identify its manifestation prematurely. Therefore, it is very positive that a surprising case in Scotland has given researchers some hope.
A woman, Joy Milne, can detect this disease only with smell . She discovered this ability with her closest relative, her husband, who noticed a change in body odor a few years before.
- Related article: "Parkinson: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention"
What is Parkinson's?
Parkinson's disease is a disorder that directly affects physical movement in the human body . Its cause is the death or degeneration of some neurons and known black substance regions. The regions called basal ganglia, whose function is to ensure the correct control of movements, are especially affected.
Thus, this disease produces negative effects on the physical activity of any person, such as rigidity, tremors, postural instability or slowness when speaking . 75% of patients suffering from this disease are over 65 years old, while the remaining 25% are minors.
The woman who detects Parkinson's by smell
One of the most notable dramas of this disorder is its almost impossible to detect it in time to be able, at least, to avoid its development in the most aggressive phase. Researchers specializing in diseases of this type ensure that in 90% of cases it is impossible to detect any type of symptom until it is too late.
However, recently it has begun to see the possibility of being able to prevent the aggressive development of Parkinson's. An ordinary woman, with a normal life but with an excellent sense of smell, Joy Milne, of the city of Perth (Scotland), saw how this fact has supposed a tremendous advance in the field of the investigation of the disease.
His name came to light when in the University of Manchester (England), unbelievers before such event, decided to invite her to see to what extent what she said was true. Mrs. Milne claimed to have detected nothing less than a whopping 6 years before of the definitive manifesto of Parkinson's in her husband. And that simply by sniffing a garment before washing it.
The definitive test to prevent
The team that wanted to carry out the research, also from the University of Perth, proposed bringing together 16 people, half with Parkinson's and the other half healthy at 100%. Of those individuals, they took clothing, both pants, shirts and other accessories.
Joy manipulated all the clothes, sniffed them well, and without thinking too much, identified with labels those people who would not suffer from Parkinson's and those who did have it . The result was resounding. He was right in all cases, he made it full. Years later, he was informed that garments classified as suspicious confirmed his augury. The owners ended up developing the disease.
- Maybe you're interested: "The 7 types of neurological tests"
Hopeful results
"I was skeptical, really. But it has been thanks to the Joy that we have advanced so much in this field, "says one of the professors at the University of Manchester, involved in the study. With such a humble and natural technique, it has been possible to detect other 10 molecules that diagnose the presence of Parkinson's before it manifests completely.
In the United Kingdom, 1 in every 600 people suffers from Parkinson's disease, and they total approximately 130,000 cases. The trauma that leaves patients unable to detect it worsens their condition. Many denounce the null progress in the last 25 years, and pressure the English government to allocate more resources to research, so there is much urgency to find a solution.
However, scientists advance that we must be careful with this technique of smell, because it is not, far from it and despite its incredible results, the final test. At the moment, the case of Joy Milne is exceptional, and nowhere else in the world has a similar technique been glimpsed and no other person with the same gift has been found.
