Parkinson’s disease is infamous for causing shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with moving. However, it has another, less talked about symptom – a loss of smell.
Recently, scientists from Yale School of Medicine dove into this mystery, revealing how Parkinson’s affects the sense of smell.
Their findings, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, might help us better understand and diagnose the disease.
Loss of Smell: A Hidden Symptom of Parkinson’s
Between 75% and 90% of people with Parkinson’s disease start to lose their sense of smell. This often happens before any shaking or stiffness begins.
In other words, a weakening sense of smell has become known as a ‘non-motor’ symptom of Parkinson’s.
The Research: Investigating Mice and Smell
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine used special lab mice to explore why people with Parkinson’s lose their sense of smell.
These mice are bred to have similar symptoms to people with Parkinson’s. By observing them, the researchers hoped to uncover what’s happening in the brain.
The researchers tested the mice’s sense of smell using a ‘buried food test.’ The mice that showed later-stage Parkinson’s symptoms had trouble with this test, indicating a loss of smell.
Upon examining their brains, the researchers found these mice had problems in certain nerve cells connected to the sense of smell.
They also noticed fewer new nerve cells were being formed in the part of the brain responsible for smell.
Interestingly, in a healthy brain, even as we age, new nerve cells keep forming in this area.
The Bigger Picture
Despite many Parkinson’s patients reporting a diminishing sense of smell, this symptom hasn’t been thoroughly studied.
The reason? The movement problems caused by the disease are more disruptive to daily life and thus have taken research priority.
However, Charles Greer, Ph.D., a leading author of the study, is excited about the potential of understanding this symptom better.
He says that these findings might help create a new way to detect Parkinson’s disease much earlier than we currently can.
If we can diagnose the disease when the first symptoms (like a loss of smell) start to appear, we might be able to start treatments sooner.
In short, by ‘sniffing out’ the connection between Parkinson’s and the sense of smell, we might be able to make significant strides in how we manage this challenging disease.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies about Vitamin E that may help prevent Parkinson’s disease, and Vitamin D could benefit people with Parkinson’s disease.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about new ways to treat Parkinson’s disease, and results showing COVID-19 may be linked to Parkinson’s disease.
The study was published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
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