Parkinson’s disease develops years before diagnosis, says UCI Health researcher
Earliest signs include changes in sleep and smell
IN THE NEWS: As the American population continues to age, Parkinson’s disease diagnoses are on the rise. Yet, the Parkinson’s process begins in the brain about 10 to 20 years before a formal diagnosis, which often comes in a patient’s 50s or 60s.
Dr. Claire Henchcliffe, a neurologist who specializes in Parkinson’s disease at UCI Health, spoke with NPR about some of the early signs.
"Sense of smell can alter. Sleep can change. That's when the Parkinson's process in the brain has started. It's kicked off. But we don't have the wherewithal yet to be able to diagnose that process for sure."
She also spoke about stem cells as a potential Parkinson’s treatment and how clinical trials are showing promising results in participants.
“I'm happy to say that for some of the participants, their ‘off period,’ where medicines were unable to control their symptoms, such as stiffness and cramps, aren’t as severe. While this is a promising result, I am cautiously optimistic that patients will continue to have these experiences.”
The good news is that there continue to be rapid advances when it comes to treatments for Parkinson’s disease, demonstrating the continued need for robust research.
“In all the years that I've worked in Parkinson's, I'll just say, I have never seen such a rich pipeline, and I've never seen such rapid advances. So I think we have to think big.”
Henchcliffe, the Stanley van den Noort professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, is a leading expert in Parkinson's disease.
She is also the principal investigator of a phase 1 clinical trial for bemdaneprocel, an investigational cell therapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, that has shown promising results.
Henchcliffe has more than two decades of experience treating patients with Parkinson’s disease and related conditions. A leading international expert on the condition, her research has focused on developing new treatments.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,317-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Medical Center, its flagship hospital in Orange, Calif., the UCI Health — Irvine medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).