Parkinson's Disease Not Part of Aging, Potentially Caused by Bacteria [Study]

Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder known for affecting elderly people, specifically those aged 60 and above.

Some of the well-known impacts of the disease are unintended or uncontrollable movements of the body, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The progression of the disease is gradual, decreasing one's ability to talk or walk properly.

In the United States, Parkinson's affects dozens to hundreds of thousands of people in the said old age group based on annual diagnosis cases, according to the country's health authorities.

Based on this data, experts have linked the said neurodegenerative disease to aging for the longest time.

However, previous research has proven this is not always the case, while recent evidence supports a paradigm shift toward our understanding of the disease.

A new study led by scientists in Finland builds on previous findings that a common aquatic bacteria may be contributing to the development of Parkinson's disease.

Bacteria Causes Parkinson's Disease?

In the new study published in the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology on May 1, researchers from the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland determined that the neural protein called alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) is an important element in the pathology of Parkinson's disease.

The research team suggested alpha-syn is developed in the gut cells by gut microbe pathogens like the Desulfovibrio bacteria, where previous evidence has shown is associated with Parkinson's.

Desulfovibrio Bacteria

To test the ground-breaking evidence, the Finnish researchers collected fecal samples of ten patients with Parkinson's disease along with their healthy spouses for the purposes of molecular detection of the said bacterium species, followed by bacterial isolation.

Using statistical analysis, the team found that worms fed on Desulfovibrio from the patients suffering from Parkinson's, suggesting that the results link the bacteria species to the development of the disease by inducing alpha-syn aggregation.

Parkinson's Disease Symptoms

Parkinson's disease, also called PD, is a degenerative condition affecting the brain and it is linked with motor-function relation symptoms like slow movement, imbalance, tremor, and rigidity, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Other brain complications or non-motor complications include cognitive impairment, mental health disorders, and sleep disorders, as well as pain, and sensory disturbances.

PD-related motor complications include dyskinesias or involuntary movements and dystonias or painful involuntary muscle contractions.

These impairments also contribute to restrictions on speech, mobility, and other areas of life.

Furthermore, since PD is a chronic disease, the progression of the illness can result in disability and care requirements, the WHO added.

Many patients with the mental health disease also develop dementia as their condition progresses.

Dementia is not actually a disease but rather an umbrella term used to describe an individual's inability to recollect, think, or make decisions that become hindrances to everyday life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).