Parkinson’s Disease – Progression

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Sadly, most of us have residents with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease and we have little to assist us in evaluating the progression of this disease except when the resident begins to decline physically and/or mentally. As sad as this is, we can’t cure Parkinson’s Disease, and watching a resident decline is heartbreaking. But a recent article published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease discusses the results of a recent study on a blood test that may predict cognitive and motor progression beyond using clinical parameters. The blood test for inflammatory and cell senescence biomarkers may be a reliable predictor of cognitive decline including those who will develop early dementia and motor progress in PD patients. Sounds impossible right? Well, apparently not, and when you think about it, almost 80% of people living with PD will develop dementia – imagine what this could mean in the long run! So, although the theory needs to be validated in further studies, maybe we will be able to help with planning more targeted management for patients earlier in their disease course and that, my friends, leads to improved quality of life! The article can be found at the link here.