Study: Trained Dogs Can Detect Parkinson's Disease with 98% Accuracy Through Sense of Smell

A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Bristol revealed that dogs have the ability to diagnose Parkinson's disease in its early stages with up to 98% accuracy through the analysis of skin samples.

The study explained that Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder that results in the deterioration of the motor system due to a lack of dopamine, leads to symptoms such as tremors, difficulty swallowing, loss of sense of smell, and reduced handwriting size. As the disease progresses, more severe symptoms appear, such as slow movement, muscle stiffness, balance problems, and eventually the loss of the ability to walk unaided.

Due to the lack of accurate diagnostic methods in the early stages of the disease, researchers trained two dogs of the "Golden Retriever" and "Black Labrador" breeds to distinguish skin oil samples taken from over 200 individuals, including both patients with the disease and healthy individuals.

During the experiment, the dogs were able to distinguish between the samples with high accuracy, even in a double-blind test where trainers or researchers did not know the nature of the samples beforehand. The dogs also succeeded in identifying cases of the disease in individuals suffering from other conditions.

Dr. Nicola Rooney, Assistant Professor at the Bristol Veterinary School and supervisor of the study, commented: "Detecting early indicators of Parkinson's disease remains a significant challenge, but the dogs' ability may pave the way for the development of an effective, rapid, and non-invasive diagnostic method".

The study indicated that changes in the components of skin oil in Parkinson's patients may give the body a distinctive scent that dogs can distinguish due to their strong sense of smell, opening up new avenues for early and accurate disease diagnosis.