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 is one of California’s largest academic health systems and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Established on July 1, 1976, UCI Health has grown into a 1,461-bed health system that includes UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Irvine, four Community Network hospitals and a growing network of ambulatory care centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. As Orange County’s only academic health systems, UCI Health is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in the county, the region’s only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, American College of Emergency Physicians Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and a nationally recognized regional burn center verified by the American Burn Association. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people across Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County through excellence in patient care, research and medical education. Follow UCI Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.