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Medscape
01-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Earwax Secretions May Help Detect Parkinson's Disease
Odors from earwax may help distinguish individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) from those without the condition, a new study suggests. Researchers found that four volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ear canal secretions significantly differed between participants with and without PD. The compounds — ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane — may represent potential biomarkers. An artificial intelligence olfactory (AIO)-based screening model used in the study identified those with PD with 94% accuracy. 'The accuracy of the model really surprised us,' study investigator Hao Dong, Research Center for Frontier Fundamental Studies, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, China, MD, told Medscape Medical News . However, the study was a 'small-scale, single-center experiment,' he noted in a press release. 'The next step is to conduct further research at different stages of the disease, in multiple research centers, and among multiple ethnic groups in order to determine whether this method has greater practical application value,' Dong said. The findings were published online recently in Analytical Chemistry . Unique Odor Profile 'Our team has long been engaged in the detection of [VOCs] secreted by the human body. By chance, we came across reports on the detection of sebum VOCs for Parkinson's,' Dong said. Sebum, the oily substance secreted by the skin, may carry a distinct scent in individuals with PD. In a 2019 study cited by Dong, researchers noninvasively collected sebum samples from the upper backs of 64 participants. The findings suggested that samples from those with PD contained compounds associated with a unique odor profile. Dong and his team began with a confirmatory experiment using sebum samples collected from the upper back, as in the original study. However, they found that earwax was easier to collect and had a more stable chemical composition. These findings led them to focus on earwax in the current study. Ear wax also contains sebum. But unlike sebum on the surface of the skin, which is exposed to various factors that can degrade it. In contrast, sebum on skin inside the ear canal is protected. Dong's study included 209 participants, 108 of whom had a diagnosis of PD. Ear canal secretions were collected from all participants using swabs and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results showed that ear canal secretions from participants with PD contained 196 distinct VOCs compared with 168 VOCs in those without PD. Interestingly, no two participants had identical VOC profiles. A Disease 'Fingerprint'? 'In this case, VOC components could be used as a 'fingerprint' for disease identification,' the researchers wrote. Adjusted analyses identified four VOCs that significantly differed between participants with and without PD: ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane. The investigators trained the AIO system using VOC data. By combining gas chromatography-surface acoustic wave sensors with a convolutional neural network (CNN) model, the AIO system achieved up to 94.4% accuracy in distinguishing participants with PD from those without. In addition, the CNN model demonstrated a high level of performance with an area under the curve of 0.98, well above the 0.8 threshold considered strong by the researchers. 'Further enhancements to the diagnostic model could pave the way for a promising new PD diagnostic solution and the clinical use of a bedside PD diagnostic device,' the investigators wrote. For now, Dong said the study's takeaway message for clinicians is that 'the potential of volatile organic compounds secreted by the skin as biomarkers for Parkinson's disease has been further verified.'
Newsweek
24-06-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Your Ear Wax Can Reveal if You Have Parkinson's Disease
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The levels of the natural bodily oil sebum in ear wax could be used to detect Parkinson's disease early, according to a new study. Changes in sebum have previously been linked with the neurodegenerative disorder, with those with the condition having sebum that gives off a characteristic smell. Furthermore, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by sebum are impacted by processes involved in the progression of Parkinson's, including neurodegeneration, oxidative stress and systemic inflammation. The stumbling block to making use of this information, however, has been than environmental factors like air pollution and humidity can also affect the composition of sebum, meaning that sampling from the skin may not provide reliable information. To get around this, chemists Hao Dong, Danhua Zhu and colleagues turned to ear wax—which can both be easily sampled but, coming from the skin in the ear canal, is protected from environmental alteration. A stock image of a woman using a cotton swab on her ear. A stock image of a woman using a cotton swab on her ear. fizkes/Getty Images In their study, the researchers collected ear wax samples from 209 people–108 of whom have received a Parkinson's diagnosis—and analyzed their composition using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Four of the VOCs detected in the ear wax of those with Parkinson's disease were found to significantly different to the VOCs in healthy subjects. (Specifically, the study concluded that ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane are potential biomarkers for Parkinson's disease.) Next, the team trained an artificial intelligence olfactory system to analyze VOC data. This system was able to categorize ear wax samples with 94 percent accuracy, with the researchers saying this could lead to a first-line screening tool for early-onset Parkinson's. Dong said: "This method is a small-scale single-center experiment in China. The next step is to conduct further research at different stages of the disease, in multiple research centers and among multiple ethnic groups, in order to determine whether this method has greater practical application value." Parkinson's disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder in the U.S, after Alzheimer's disease. Symptoms of the condition include tremors, slow movement, stiffness and impaired balance—given Parkinson's progressive nature, these conditions gradually and increasingly impact a person's ability to walk, talk and swallow. Approximately 500,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, most of whom are over the age of 60. However, it's thought that many people go undiagnosed for years. Indeed, some experts have suggested that as many as one million Americans could have the condition, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The cost of treating Parkinson's disease is an estimated $14 billion each year—and with the number of diagnoses expected to double in the U.S. by 2040, early detection is key. Current testing methods typically entail clinical rating scales and neural imaging, but screening for the disease with ear wax samples could be relatively inexpensive in comparison, the ACS suggests. At present, most treatments can only slow the disease progression rather than curing it, but an earlier diagnosis could offer a window to prevent the progression prior to the onset of motor impairments. Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about Parkinson's? Let us know via health@ Reference Chen, X., Li, Y., Pan, C., Weng, S., Xie, X., Zhou, B., Dong, H., & Zhu, D. (2025). An Artificial Intelligence Olfactory-Based Diagnostic Model for Parkinson's Disease Using Volatile Organic Compounds from Ear Canal Secretions. Analytical Chemistry, 97(24), 12633–12641.
