Stop and smell the roses: Could smell loss be a risk factor for Parkinson’s?
Many recognize actor Michael J. Fox as the star of the classic film Back to the Future, TV shows Family Ties and Spin City as well as a slew of other well-known movies and even another TV show in the works. But he’s also become known for his commitment to the campaign for increased Parkinson’s disease research since launching The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, after his own diagnosis.
The Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine has been involved in the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative study sponsored by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research for the past two years and is now participating in a new arm of the study.
This new study will look at three potential risk factors, including how smell loss, otherwise known as hyposmia, could be a risk factor for Parkinson’s and what that means for slowing or stopping the disease. The study will also be looking at rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) as well as a mutation in the LRRK2 gene.
Interested in how smell loss is connected to your brain? Take a look at the infographic below, from the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
What an excellent info graphic!
Matt
Matt,
Thank you for your comment and for following Momentum. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research created the infographic in this post and we used it with their permission. Thanks again for your feedback.
One of my friend’s father has Parkinson’s disease. Along with difficulties in walking he is experiencing loss of automatic movements like facial expression, blinking eyes and smiling. He has also lost his sense of smell.