In the study, scientists analysed participants’ speed of movement. By using a machine learning algorithm, an artificial intelligence (AI) programme was able to accurately predict who would go on to develop the disease.
Conducted by the UK Dementia Research Institute (UKDRI) and the Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute (NMHII) at Cardiff University, the researchers say this method could be used as a new screening tool for the illness.
The majority of people with Parkinson’s start to show symptoms after the age of 50, but some experience symptoms in their 40s.
By the time the hallmark symptoms start to show, more than half of the cells in the affected part of the brain may already have died, making a form of earlier detection in high demand.