Earwax could offer clues of early Parkinsons disease, new study suggests

Earwax may provide an unexpected early warning of Parkinson’s disease (PD), according to new research.In particular, its odor could help clinicians detect the progressive neurological movement disorder, researchers noted in the study, which was published in the journal Analytical Chemistry.Parkinson’s is usually diagnosed after an individual demonstrates symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia (slowed movement), and gait changes, according to health experts.The study suggested that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — which are released by sebum (oily secretions that help lubricate and protect skin) in the ear wax of individuals with Parkinson’s — have a certain distinctive smell.The odor is the result of systemic inflammation, neurodegeneration, and oxidative stress related to disease progression, as noted in the report from the American Chemical Society.“There is evidence that patients with Parkinson’s disease produce excess sebum, and other research groups have demonstrated that there are particular chemical profiles of this sebum compared to patients without PD,” Dr.Joohi Jimenez-Shahed, medical director of movement disorders, neuromodulation and brain circuit therapeutics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, told Fox News Digital.(Jimenez-Shahed was not affiliated with the study.)In this recent study, researchers in China analyzed wax swabs from the ear canals of 209 participants, 108 of whom had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Using specialized methods to analyze chemicals in the wax, the investigators found that four of the VOCs in people with the disease were significantly different from those who had not been diagnosed, the study detailed.  They concluded that four VOCs — ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane — may serve as potential biomarkers for PD.The researchers used the collected earwax data to train an artificial intelligence olfactory (AIO) system,...