Olfactory loss may be a first sign of idiopathic Parkinson's disease.
Recent studies support the idea of olfactory dysfunction as a very early sign of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). Aim of the present study was to clinically follow-up patients with idiopathic hyposmia to find out the percentage of patients developing IPD after 4 years time. At baseline, olfactory tests had been combined with transcranial sonography of the substantia nigra and (123)I-FP-CIT SPECT imaging. At the present neurological examination, 7% of the individuals with idiopathic hyposmia had developed clinical IPD. Altogether, 13% presented with abnormalities of the motor system. Our data suggest that a combination of olfactory testing and other tests may constitute a screening tool for the risk to develop IPD.
Haehner
Antje
A
Department of Neurology, University of Dresden Medical School, Germany.
Hummel
Thomas
T
Hummel
Cornelia
C
Sommer
Ulrike
U
Junghanns
Susann
S
Reichmann
Heinz
H
D000377:Agnosia / Q000209:etiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013649:Taste; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic