Host Angeline Albert talks to Joy Milne about what it's like to smell Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer and other diseases. Her rare hereditary condition also meant she could smell her husband's Parkinson's 12 years before he was diagnosed.
Milne, nicknamed “the woman who can smell Parkinson's”, described a musky aroma, different from his normal scent. Her observation piqued the interest of scientists who decided to research what she could smell, and whether this could be harnessed to help identify people with the neurological condition.
A Scottish woman named Joy Milne made headlines in 2015 for an unusual talent: her ability to sniff out people with Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative illness that is estimated to affect about 10 million people worldwide.
The study used a simple scratch and sniff test in which participants had to identify common odors such as cinnamon, lemon, gasoline, and onion. Results from the study showed that those who had a poor sense of smell were nearly five times more likely to develop Parkinson's than those with a good sense of smell.
Their research identified certain specific compounds that may contribute to the smell that Joy noticed on her husband and other Parkinson's patients. Joy Milne has an unusual ability: She can smell Parkinson's disease. Joy and her super smelling abilities have opened up a whole new realm of research, Kunath says.
Loss or reduction of smell (anosmia) is common in Parkinson's, with up to 95% of people experiencing it to some degree. It can be one of the earliest symptoms, and people often report experiencing loss of smell before they even have any difficulties with movement.
Symptoms of Parkinson's disease
Muscle stiffness, where muscle remains contracted for a long time. Slowness of movement. Impaired balance and coordination, sometimes leading to falls.
To test for kinetic tremor we can use the finger to nose test. In performing this test, the patients are instructed to alternatively touch their nose and our finger. In doing so, the patients should stretch their arm completely and should not move too fast. In this way we have more chances of triggering the tremor.
The patient places an index finger over one nostril to block it (e.g., right index finger over right nostril). He or she then closes the eyes. Instruct the patient to sniff repetitively and to tell you when an odor is detected, identifying the odor if recognized.
Searching for the odor of Parkinson's Disease.
In 2015, it was reported and verified by researchers that a former nurse in Scotland could smell an odor unique to Parkinson's Disease. Since a human can detect such an odor, it's no surprise that a dog can easily do the same.
Several diseases have been discovered to have signature scents: People with typhoid fever are said to smell like baked bread, people with yellow fever smell like a butcher's shop, and those with the glandular disease scrofula smell like stale beer.
After Robin Williams died by suicide in August 2014, his widow, Susan Schneider Williams, would soon learn about a disease she had never heard of, but one that had haunted both of their lives. That disease is Lewy body dementia, with which the actor was diagnosed in October 2014 following an autopsy on his brain.
October 4, 2022. Scientists have recently discovered that the skin of people with Parkinson's disease (PD) has a unique scent. And MJFF-funded scientists are now working to define this scent as a potential tool to diagnose the disease earlier and more easily.
In addition to interfering with walking, balance and coordination, Parkinson's causes increased secretion of sebum, which is produced by the skin's sebaceous glands. It's an oily, waxy substance with an odor that can be detected by people with a hyper-sensitive sense of smell -- a nurse in Scotland is among them.
Pheromones: The Hidden Key To All Things Sexy? Some people think their partner smells so good because of pheromones, which are chemicals that act like hormones outside of the body, influencing others' behavior, Dr. Navya Mysore, M.D., a provider at One Medical.
Tremors, muscle stiffness and slowness of movement are all common early symptoms of Parkinson's – but there are also other signs to be aware of. Sleep and night-time problems are common in Parkinson's. People with Parkinson's are more likely to experience insomnia due to certain symptoms which can disrupt sleep.
Most people with Parkinson's disease eventually need a medication called levodopa. Levodopa is absorbed by the nerve cells in your brain and turned into the chemical dopamine, which is used to transmit messages between the parts of the brain and nerves that control movement.
The finger tapping test evaluates bradykinesia, focusing on decrement in rate, amplitude, or both with repetitive action. Vertical positioning of the hands during this task may also be clinically relevant.
According to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, patients usually live between 10 and 20 years after diagnosis.
Parkinson's disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra. Nerve cells in this part of the brain are responsible for producing a chemical called dopamine.
It's possible for non-motor symptoms to start occurring up to a decade before any motor symptoms emerge. Years can pass before symptoms are obvious enough to make a person to go to the doctor.
Berries, green leafy vegetables, eggs, fish and oil have neuroprotective properties which can reduce cognitive decline and improve memory function. Yogurt, kefir and raw sauerkraut, natural probiotics, can also increase natural dopamine production.