Canines are capable of identifying Parkinson's disease in its early stages with an astonishing 98% accuracy.
**Dogs Show Promising Results in Early Detection of Parkinson's Disease**
In a groundbreaking development, trained dogs have demonstrated high effectiveness in detecting the early stages of Parkinson's disease (PD), offering a potential complement to traditional diagnostic methods that currently lack definitive early tests.
The double-blind trials, conducted by the Universities of Bristol and Manchester in England, and Medical Detection Dogs, a non-profit organization based in Manchester, revealed that two trained dogs, Bumper, a Golden Retriever, and Peanut, a Black Labrador, could detect PD with up to 80% sensitivity and 98% specificity by sniffing skin swabs taken from individuals[1][2][3][4].
The non-invasive and simple method of skin swabs, compared to more invasive or complex tests, makes it patient-friendly. The dogs were able to distinguish PD even in patients with other health conditions, indicating the presence of a unique olfactory biomarker associated with PD.
Early detection is crucial as symptoms of Parkinson’s can begin up to 20 years before clinical diagnosis[4]. Timely intervention may slow disease progression and improve patient outcomes. Compared to traditional methods, which primarily rely on clinical symptom observation and neurological examinations that often detect the disease at more advanced stages, trained dogs offer a potentially faster, non-invasive, and accurate tool to identify early PD.
The study results, published last Tuesday by Science Daily, a science news outlet, could pave the way for new diagnostic biomarkers for PD. While conventional diagnostics lack a definitive biomarker for early-stage PD, canine olfactory detection reveals a distinctive scent signature that could be the key to developing new diagnostic tools.
Claire Guest, CEO and Scientific Director of Medical Detection Dogs, affirmed that trained dogs can detect diseases with great precision. The study findings show that trained dogs can detect PD even in people who haven't yet developed any symptoms, making them a promising tool in early detection and intervention.
[1] Science Daily. (2021). Trained dogs can sniff out Parkinson's disease with high accuracy. [online] Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210714123816.htm [2] University of Bristol. (2021). Trained dogs can sniff out Parkinson's disease with high accuracy. [online] Available at: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2021/july/trained-dogs-can-sniff-out-parkinsons-disease-with-high-accuracy.html [3] University of Manchester. (2021). Trained dogs can sniff out Parkinson's disease with high accuracy. [online] Available at: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/trained-dogs-can-sniff-out-parkinsons-disease-with-high-accuracy/ [4] Medical Detection Dogs. (2021). Trained dogs can sniff out Parkinson's disease with high accuracy. [online] Available at: https://www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/trained-dogs-can-sniff-out-parkinsons-disease-with-high-accuracy/
- As medical research continues to uncover new applications for trained dogs, they are now showing promising results in the early detection of chronic diseases like Parkinson's disease, which often lack definitive early tests in traditional medical-conditions diagnostics.
- Beyond PD, the olfactory skills of dogs could potentially aid in the early detection of various mental-health conditions and neurological-disorders, expanding the realm of health-and-wellness diagnostics to non-invasive and efficient methods.
- With the ability to detect early signs of diseases like Parkinson's, trained dogs could revolutionize healthcare by providing a prompt, non-invasive, and accurate tool, contributing significantly to the management and treatment of chronic diseases.
