Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/C5WtXOXLVfJ/ It may soon be possible to diagnose not only Parkinson’s but other degenerative neurologic disorders with simple skin biopsies.  This the promise suggested by a new study from Harvard-Beth Israel Hospital neurologists. Parkinson’s Disease, Lewy body dementia, multiple system atrophy, and pure autonomic failure are neurologic disorders with a distinctive deposit of the compound phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (P-synuclein) in tissues throughout the nervous system.  The Harvard study evaluated the practicality of detecting this telltale compound in simple skin biopsies. After evaluating leg, thigh and neck skin samples from 428 individuals with these neurologic disorders, the data demonstrated the presence of P-synuclein in 93% of those with Parkinson’s, 96% of those with Lewy body dementia, 98% of those with multiple system atrophy, and 100% of those with pure autonomic failure. New studies are underway to validate the usefulness of P-synuclein skin biopsi