Saliva Gland Test May Diagnose Parkinson’s Disease

Testing a portion of a person’s saliva gland may be a way to diagnose Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study that will be presented March 16-23, 2013, at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego.

“There is currently no diagnostic test for Parkinson’s disease,” says study author Charles Adler, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic Arizona and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. “We have previously shown in autopsies of Parkinson’s patients that the abnormal proteins associated with Parkinson’s are consistently found in the submandibular salivary glands, under the lower jaw, and this is the first study demonstrating the value of testing a portion of the saliva gland to diagnose a living person for Parkinson’s disease. Making a diagnosis in living patients is a big step forward in our effort to understand and better treat patients.” For more information, click here to read the full release.