Re: Parkinson's

["J.R. Bruman" <jrbruman@xxxxxxxxxx>]

You wrote:
<I'm wondering if there is any blood (or other) tests that can be
<done to get a diagnosis for the early stages of Parkinson's.  Any
<help will be much appreciated.

Sorry, but the answer is no. It's subject to much research, as the
answer might not only provide a clue for treatment, but also would
be most valuable in treatment research, by eliminating subjects
from the trial who don't have Parkinson's. One suggested clinical
sign is a subtle defect in color perception. Another is a decline
in verbal fluency. There are a number of clinical observations by
which practioners hope to distinguish PD from several other
diseases that are similar in early stages, but misdiagnosis is
still common. Disruption of dopamine metabolism inside the
brain is of course the defining sign of PD, and that may be
detected by sophisticated scanning techniques such as SPECT or
PET. Unfortunately they are presently too costly for general
diagnostic use.
Cheers,
Joe