07-07-2025
'Scratch and sniff' test could help top doctors spot Parkinson's, says Newcastle expert
A "scratch and sniff" test could help experts spot risk factors for Parkinson's Disease sooner than ever. That's according to a Newcastle professor who leads a study called the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) in the UK.
Prof Nicola Pavese, a consultant neurologist at the Royal Victoria Infirmary and a clinical neuroscience professor at Newcastle University, heads up PPMI in this country and is encouraging people to sign up for an innovative "scratch and sniff" test to help support pioneering research.
The PPMI is sponsored and part-funded by the Parkinson's research foundation set up by Back to the Future actor Michael J Fox. Prof Pavese said the study could could bring better treatments a "step closer" for people with Parkinson's and their families.
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He said: "Many conditions, such as Covid-19 or a common cold, can cause loss of smell, however a prolonged loss of smell might be a risk factor for developing brain disease, such as Parkinson's. Not everyone with smell loss will go on to develop brain disease, however we need to learn more about this connection to find effective treatments.
'Everyone who gets involved in the study is helping us to move a step closer to finding treatments for a condition that can have a huge impact on patients and their families."
The test takes 15 minutes to complete - and people who are over 40 and do not have the disease can take part, as can those who have been diagnosed with it in the last seven years and those who may have a sleep condition called REM sleep behaviour disorder which can be an early sign of brain disease risk, especially in combination with having a reduced sense of smell.
The test is posted out to people if they are eligible. Those who are not, can still take part in a study that is online-based and involves answering questionnaires about lifestyle risk factors that could lead to Parkinson's or other degenerative neurological conditions.
For more information, contact the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust's PPMI team on 0191 208 1241 or email
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