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A recent study looked at symptoms, including functional limitations, which can be perceived up to 3 years before the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Impairment of general mobility seems to be the first sign.
Parkinson’s disease: early detection is essential
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative pathology which concerns 167,000 people in France and 25,000 new cases per year. To date, she benefits from care to compensate for her effects but not to treat her. Hence the importance of looking for warning signs, in order to find an earlier treatment, capable of stopping or slowing down the progression of the disease.
It is for this purpose that an American team wanted to identify the precursor signs of the disease before the appearance of the well-known symptoms of the disease: slowness in initiating movements (akinesia), specific muscle stiffness and tremor at the rest.
Sleep, dexterity, or even speech under study
This case-control study used data linked to Medicare (a health insurance system administered by the federal government of the United States) of 6,674 beneficiaries aged 65 or older, from different origins. The analyzes were conducted from November 2021 to June 2022. All answered a variety of questions relating to dexterity, diet, mobility, mood, pain, sleep, speech, strength and vision.
The results of the survey with a follow-up up to 3 years before diagnosis (i.e. during the prodromal phase – with. early warning signs of the disease) were examined using a logistic regression.
Impact on mobility and strength 3 years before diagnosis
According to the results, it seems that certain signs, mainly concerning the person’s strength and mobility, appear before the diagnosis is made. Up to 3 years before diagnosis, patients with prodromal (yet undiagnosed) Parkinson’s disease were less likely to:
- Declare being able to walk 6 blocks;
- Stand up unassisted from a kneeling position;
- To lift a heavy object above his head;
- And more likely to report an imbalance.
Results that suggest that people with prodromal Parkinson’s disease may have greater impairment in activities involving mobility and strength up to 3 years before diagnosis compared to the general population.
If these data are confirmed on a larger scale, they could encourage earlier intervention to improve mobility and patient management.