Joy Milne noticed her husband began to smell differently.
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The widow of a man diagnosed with Parkinson’s is working with researchers looking into the condition after she found that there was a “smell” she associated with the disease.
At a scientific discussion on the subject when she told doctors she noticed the same smell on others. She initially assumed it was just sweat, but at a meeting of a U.K.-based Parkinson’s charity, Milne realized that many people had both the unique smell and Parkinson’s.
Milner succeeded in identifying 11 out of the 12 participants as having Parkinson’s, and also insisted the 12th person who did not have the disease had it when he actually did not. Eight months later, Joy’s prediction was proved true.
“I’ve always had a keen sense of smell and I detected very early on that there was a very subtle change in how Les smelled”.
Joy Milne’s husband died of Parkinson’s disease in June. Then the researchers collected them and asked Milne to take a whiff of the clothing to determine whether or not the wearer suffered from Parkinson’s, according to BBC.
In an early pilot study with 24 people, Joy Milne was able to discern who had the disease and who did not nearly 100 percent of the time.
“Her job was to tell us who had Parkinson’s and who didn’t”, Kunath told BBC.
The research team had six people with Parkinson’s and six without wear a T-shirt for a day and put the worn garments in bags. It so impressed Dr. Kunath and his fellow researchers that they have launched an investigation into the phenomenon, hoping to find a reliable way to detect and diagnose Parkinson’s patients.
Scientists theorize people with early Parkinson’s have changes in their skin leading to a change in smell. “A diagnostic test like this could cut through so much of that, enable people to go in and see a consultant, have a simple swab test and come out with a clear diagnosis of Parkinson’s”.
Milne made the connection between the smell and the disease after picking up the same scent from other sufferers.
Her diagnoses were eerily accurate – and have potentially groundbreaking implications for people living with the disease.
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There is now no cure for the degenerative disorder of the central nervous system which causes shaking, slowness, difficulties walking and behavioral problems like dementia and depression.
