A Parkinson's blood test could be in the pipeline, with a new study declaring that the simple diagnostic could help differentiate the neurological disorder from other similar afflictions.
But, experts say, it’s “not ready for prime time” just yet.
Parkinson’s disease experts have reportedly been searching for ways to diagnose the disorder, as well as similar ones, according to CBS News.
According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, nearly 1 million people in America suffer from this “movement disorder,” but the specific cause of it is still being sought out by doctors and experts.
As the disease progresses, it ultimately affects a person’s brain cells, which then affects their ability to control their movements.
A problem for years has been the fact that doctors can’t always differentiate between a patient having Parkinson’s or an other, atypical parkinsonian disorder, which can mimic the symptoms, CNN reported.
“This can be very challenging, especially during the early stages of the diseases and if the responsible doctor is not a neurologist specialized in movement disorders,” said Dr. Oskar Hansson, who led the blood test study, which was published in the journal Neurology on Wednesday.
If a doctor is not specialized in handling movement disorders, then they typically don’t “know exactly what questions to ask the patient and the special signs to look for,” Hansson wrote in an email, according to CNN.
It’s been reported that those with atypical parkinsonian “usually have a much worse prognosis, with faster disease progression, (with) more disabling symptoms” than those who have traditional Parkinson’s.
If the new blood test turns out to be a success, it would be a major tool for doctors when diagnosing.
“We have found that concentrations of a nerve protein in the blood can discriminate between these diseases as accurately as concentrations of that same protein in spinal fluid,” Hansson said, according to the Daily Mail.
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