Revolutionary lab tests promise earlier Parkinson's diagnosis and research breakthroughs.

New lab tests that can detect traces of the alpha-synuclein protein, which is linked to Parkinson's disease, may revolutionize research and accelerate diagnosis. The SYNTap test, which looks for seeds of the misfolded protein in spinal fluid, was found to be accurate in detecting Parkinson's disease in a study of 1,100 participants. While the test won't change how patients are treated, it may bring peace of mind that their diagnosis is correct. The goal is to detect the disease before movement is impaired, and researchers hope to translate their results to other biological samples such as blood or saliva.