Woman’s Bizarre Talent Helps Doctors Diagnose Neurological Disorder

New Knowledge

With the knowledge that sebum rather than sweat was the source of the "Parkinson's scent," the team was able to determine the composition of the sebum. Kunath and his associate, Dr. Perdita Barran, analyzed 64 samples to create a diagnostic test for identifying Parkinson's. Joy's unusual talents helped lead Barran's team to develop a system that now allows them to accurately identify and diagnose 9 out of 10 Parkinson's patients.

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