Cerebral Spinal Fluid Biomarker flags Parkinson’s Pathology years before symptoms appear

Dr Alison Green and Dr Renata Riha (both Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences) have published a longitudinal observational study in Lancet Neurology that paves the way for an early diagnostic test for Parkinson’s.

Using Real time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) a test for misfolded protein, they have detected alpha -synuclein in the CSF of patients with isolated rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (IRBD), years before clinical symptoms of Parkinson's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies emerged.

This finding is the first step towards the development of a biomarker for conditions such as Parkinson's or dementia with lewy bodies, which are collectively known as alpha-synucleinopathies because they are characterised by the abnormal accumulation of apha-synuclein aggregates.