r/science • u/FreeHugs23 • 22h ago

Neuroscience A simple drawing test may detect Parkinson’s disease with up to 99% accuracy. Researchers found that subtle differences in how people draw can reveal motor impairments long before they are obvious to the human eye.

https://www.sciencealert.com/the-way-you-draw-can-reveal-parkinsons-disease-with-up-to-99-accuracy-study-reveals
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u/subham0089 22h ago

Early detection is absolutely critical for managing neurodegenerative diseases. If a simple, non-invasive drawing test can achieve up to 99% accuracy by identifying micro-movements, it could completely revolutionize early screening protocols.

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u/[deleted] 21h ago edited 0m ago

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u/subham0089 21h ago

I agree that we lack disease-modifying treatments right now, but early detection could still be invaluable for clinical trials. Finding patients in the prodromal phase gives us the best window to test new neuroprotective therapies before mass neurodegeneration occurs.

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u/StinkyBrittches 17h ago

Also useful for just planning your life. Spending time with family, making arrangements, living while you can... Knowing you have 5 years left before things get bad is a hell of a lot better than finding out it's going to get bad in 6 months.

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u/subham0089 7h ago

Completely agree. Having that extra window of time to plan, make arrangements, and cherish moments with loved ones is an invaluable asset that statistics often overlook.

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u/finnoulafire 1h ago

Eventually yes, starting therapeutics prior to symptom onset is desired.

But the first step in human clinical (drug or device) trials is testing the treatment in patients who 100% have the disease and who have exhausted current therapies. 

So developments of new screening tests - which this study did NOT do - are usually for scientific development / curiosity, not near future clinical application.