65-year-old Joy Milne from the UK has the distinction of being the first person in history who is able to detect whether or not a person has Parkinson’s disease - by smell. She first noticed the scent on her own husband - which she described as an extremely subtle, musky odor - but only made the connection when she joined a Parkinson’s UK support group, and realized upon meeting others with the disorder that they all had the same odor.
Scientists at Edinburgh University tested her claim by having her meet with twelve people - six with Parkinson’s, six without. Originally they believed that she had scored 11/12, but the subject that she “incorrectly” identified later went on to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight months later.
(Source)
from Stowe Boyd http://stoweboyd.com/post/136654467352
