Diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders
Methods are provided for non-invasive early screening of a subject for a neurodegenerative disorder, by analyzing one or more parameters associated with the neurodegenerative disorder.
1. A method of detecting an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's-like disease indicated by a loss of standard deviation of heart rate (SDHR), said method comprising:
a) selecting a subject that does not exhibit motor symptoms indicative of Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's-like disease; b) obtaining 5 or fewer minutes of heart rate data;
c) determining a SDHR of said subject from the heart rate data;
d) detecting the increased risk for developing Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's-like disease if said SDHR of said subject is less than a control SDHR; and
e) taking a sample for genetic testing, if the increased risk for developing Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's-like disease has been detected in said subject in step d).
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is in a wakeful state or awake while measuring heart rate.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising treating said subject.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject scores a 0 on a scale selected from a Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and a Hoehn and Yahr scale.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control SDHR is obtained from one or more healthy subjects.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control SDHR is obtained from one or more subjects selected from a subject that is not diagnosed with Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's-like disease.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject does not exhibit motor symptoms indicative of Parkinson's Disease or Parkinson's like disease as assessed by a scale selected from the Hoehn and Yahr Scale and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS).
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SDHR of said subject is below the average for the control SDHR.
9. A method of detecting an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's-like indicated by a loss of standard deviation of heart rate (SDHR), said method comprising:
a) selecting a subject that does not exhibit motor symptoms indicative of Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's-like disease as assessed by the Hoehn and Yahr Scale or the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS);
b) obtaining 5 or fewer minutes of heart rate data from said subject;
c) determining a SDHR of said subject from the heart rate data;
d) detecting the increased risk for developing Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's-like disease if said SDHR of said subject is less than a control SDHR, and
e) taking a sample for genetic testing, if the increased risk for developing Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's-like disease has been detected in said subject in step d).