Human perception of Parkinson´s disease body odor in comparison to the volatile organic compounds of Parkinson´s disease

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Abstract

Introduction: Patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) have a distinctive body odor, which was first described by a patient's wife as musky and strong. Later analysis of sebum of patients with PD revealed four volatile organic compounds (VOC) (perillic aldehyde, hippuric acid, eicosane, octadecanal), that differed from healthy subjects, and the patient's wife confirmed that three of them smelled like patients with PD. However, it is unclear whether other people can also perceive this PD body odor and whether it can be artificially recreated. Hence, we aimed to systematically assess whether young women can perceive the PD body odor and whether they can discriminate between the PD body odor and the “artificial PD odor” composed of the four VOCs mentioned above. Methods: T-shirts were collected from 19 people with idiopathic PD and 15 age- and gender-matched healthy participants to represent the PD body odor and the healthy body odor, respectively. The four VOCs were diluted in 1,2-propanediol to prepare the artificial PD body odor. Body odors were rated by 26 young women. Results: PD body odor was perceived as more musty, strong, smelly, and unpleasant compared to healthy and artificial PD body odor. Furthermore, around 80 % of women were able to discriminate PD body odor from artificial PD body odor. Conclusion: Overall, this study confirmed a distinctive body odor quality of patients with PD, which can be perceived by young women. However, the four VOCs, composing the artificial PD body odor, were insufficient to reproduce the body odor from PD patients.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer107091
Seitenumfang4
FachzeitschriftParkinsonism & related disorders
Jahrgang127
Frühes Online-DatumAug. 2024
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Okt. 2024
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-2387-526X/work/165453305
ORCID /0000-0002-4349-793X/work/165453919
ORCID /0000-0001-9713-0183/work/165454514
ORCID /0000-0003-2476-1077/work/165454524
Scopus 85200860133
WOS 001295152600001
PubMed 39137693

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • Body odor, Neurodegenerative disease, Olfaction, Parkinson's disease, Sebum, Smell