AI-powered blood test could predict Parkinsons years before symptoms [Video]

By Stephen Beech via SWNS

A simple new blood test could predict Parkinson’s disease seven years before symptoms start to show.

Scientists developed a new test for the debilitating condition using artificial intelligence (AI).

The study of the world’s fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder which currently affects nearly 10 million people worldwide was led by researchers at University College London (UCL) and University Medical Center Goettingen in Germany.

Parkinson’s is a progressive disorder that is caused by the death of nerve cells in a part of the brain, called the substantia nigra, which controls movement.

The research team explained that those nerve cells die or become impaired, losing the ability to produce an important chemical called dopamine, due to the build-up of a protein alpha-synuclein.

There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease. Patients are currently treated with dopamine replacement therapy after they have already developed symptoms – such as tremors, slowness of movement and gait, and memory problems.

However, …