International – Study unveils ‘breakthrough biomarker’ for Parkinson’s disease

An international group of researchers have discovered a new tool they say can reveal a key pathology of Parkinson’s disease.

The identification of the ‘breakthrough biomarker’ opens a new chapter for research, according to The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), which led the coalition of scientists and its landmark Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) clinical study.

Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurological condition worldwide, with nearly 90,000 people diagnosed with the disease each year in the US alone, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

The disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose as it relies primarily on the appearance of motor symptoms such as tremors, stiffness and slowness, but these symptoms often appear several years after disease onset…