Breath test “detects early-stage Parkinson’s”

Scientists from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel, have developed a breath test that they claim can detect early-stage Parkinson’s.

As part of a study – published in medical journal ‘ACS Chemical Neuroscience’ – scientists used a breathing device to analyse the breath of 29 participants who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. In addition, scientists also examined the breath of 19 people in the same age group who did not have the condition.

The results suggested the breath test had an accuracy of 81% – leading scientists to believe the device could be used as a portable screening tool without assistance from a medical professional.

The authors of the study said: “Early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is important because it affects the choice of therapy and is subject to a relatively high degree of error.”