What if a dog could sniff out disease before doctors can?
In a new study, scientists trained two dogs to detect Parkinson’s disease from nothing more than a simple skin swab, achieving accuracy rates as close to 98 percent. The study, published in The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, could pave the way for a faster, cheaper, and non-invasive method to catch the condition long before symptoms appear.
The study was a collaboration between Medical Detection Dogs, the University of Bristol, and the University of Manchester. Two specially trained dogs, Bumper, a Golden Retriever, and Peanut, a Black Labrador, were able to detect Parkinson’s disease with up to 80% sensitivity and 98% specificity in a double-blind trial.
Using sebum swabs (an oily secretion from the skin) collected from over 200 individuals with and without Parkinson’s, the dogs were trained to identify the unique scent profile of the disease. During testing, the dogs successfully identified positive samples even from patients with other coexisting health conditions.
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“This is a huge step forward in our efforts to develop an early, reliable test for Parkinson’s,” said Claire Guest, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Medical Detection Dogs. “Currently, symptoms may go unnoticed for years, delaying diagnosis and treatment. Dogs could help bridge that diagnostic gap.”
The testing was carried out in a double-blind setup, meaning that neither handlers nor researchers knew which samples were positive. Only a computer-controlled system tracked the sample placements, ensuring unbiased results.
Dr. Nicola Rooney, lead author and associate professor at the University of Bristol, emphasised the significance of the findings. “The dogs demonstrated that there is a distinct olfactory signature associated with Parkinson’s. Their performance, with sensitivity levels well above chance, supports the development of a quick, non-invasive screening method for early detection.”
“This research, part of our Nose2Diagnose initiative, offers strong evidence that skin swabs can provide a simple and accessible diagnostic tool,” Professor Perdita Barran of the University of Manchester added.
The study was also inspired by Joy Milne, a woman who famously discovered she could smell Parkinson’s on her husband long before his diagnosis, a phenomenon that has since shaped research into olfactory biomarkers for neurological conditions.
