Science / Medicine : Blood Defect Link to Parkinson’s

Scientists say they have detected a blood cell defect in people with Parkinson’s disease, a link that could help identify victims before symptoms appear. Such timely identification, they say, could open the door for earlier treatment of the disease that afflicts 400,000 Americans.

The findings, published in the Annals of Neurology, are the product of federally funded research at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

Parkinson’s is a neurological condition characterized by gradually worsening tremors, muscle rigidity and weakness--symptoms blamed on the disappearance of key brain cells.

The scientists reported finding what appears to be an enzyme deficiency inside blood cells of Parkinson’s patients, suggesting the disease affects more than just the brain cells it kills.