Trained dogs can detect the odour of Parkinson’s Disease

Nicola J Rooney; D.T  Trivedi; E Sinclair; C Walton-Doyle; Monty Silverdale; Perdita Barran; T  Kunath; Steve Morant; Mark  Sommerville; Jayde Smith; Julie Jones-Diette; Jenny  Corish; Joy  Milne; Claire Guest

Trained dogs can detect the odour of Parkinson’s Disease

Nicola J Rooney, D.T Trivedi, E Sinclair, C Walton-Doyle, Monty Silverdale, Perdita Barran, T Kunath, Steve Morant, Mark Sommerville, Jayde Smith, Julie Jones-Diette , Jenny Corish, Joy Milne, Claire Guest

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

Abstract

A definitive diagnostic test for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) remains elusive, so identification of potential biomarkers can facilitate diagnosis and early intervention. Two dogs were trained to distinguish between sebum swabs obtained from People with Parkinson’s (PwP) and control participants. After 38-53 weeks of training on 205 samples, the dogs were tested in a double-blind trial using 60 control and 40 target (drug-naïve PwP) samples. They each showed high sensitivity (70% and 80%) and specificity (90% and 98%). This supports previous findings that dogs can be trained to reliably detect the odour of PD.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Parkinson's Disease
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 8 Apr 2025

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@article{b223248d7e3f49d9b2857a8e4ba65e45,

title = "Trained dogs can detect the odour of Parkinson{\textquoteright}s Disease",

abstract = "A definitive diagnostic test for Parkinson{\textquoteright}s Disease (PD) remains elusive, so identification of potential biomarkers can facilitate diagnosis and early intervention. Two dogs were trained to distinguish between sebum swabs obtained from People with Parkinson{\textquoteright}s (PwP) and control participants. After 38-53 weeks of training on 205 samples, the dogs were tested in a double-blind trial using 60 control and 40 target (drug-na{\"i}ve PwP) samples. They each showed high sensitivity (70% and 80%) and specificity (90% and 98%). This supports previous findings that dogs can be trained to reliably detect the odour of PD.",

author = "Rooney, {Nicola J} and D.T Trivedi and E Sinclair and C Walton-Doyle and Monty Silverdale and Perdita Barran and T Kunath and Steve Morant and Mark Sommerville and Jayde Smith and Julie Jones-Diette and Jenny Corish and Joy Milne and Claire Guest",

year = "2025",

month = apr,

day = "8",

language = "English",

journal = "Journal of Parkinson's Disease",

issn = "1877-7171",

publisher = "IOS Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Trained dogs can detect the odour of Parkinson’s Disease

AU - Rooney, Nicola J

AU - Trivedi, D.T

AU - Sinclair, E

AU - Walton-Doyle, C

AU - Silverdale, Monty

AU - Barran, Perdita

AU - Kunath, T

AU - Morant, Steve

AU - Sommerville, Mark

AU - Smith, Jayde

AU - Jones-Diette , Julie

AU - Corish, Jenny

AU - Milne, Joy

AU - Guest, Claire

PY - 2025/4/8

Y1 - 2025/4/8

N2 - A definitive diagnostic test for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) remains elusive, so identification of potential biomarkers can facilitate diagnosis and early intervention. Two dogs were trained to distinguish between sebum swabs obtained from People with Parkinson’s (PwP) and control participants. After 38-53 weeks of training on 205 samples, the dogs were tested in a double-blind trial using 60 control and 40 target (drug-naïve PwP) samples. They each showed high sensitivity (70% and 80%) and specificity (90% and 98%). This supports previous findings that dogs can be trained to reliably detect the odour of PD.

AB - A definitive diagnostic test for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) remains elusive, so identification of potential biomarkers can facilitate diagnosis and early intervention. Two dogs were trained to distinguish between sebum swabs obtained from People with Parkinson’s (PwP) and control participants. After 38-53 weeks of training on 205 samples, the dogs were tested in a double-blind trial using 60 control and 40 target (drug-naïve PwP) samples. They each showed high sensitivity (70% and 80%) and specificity (90% and 98%). This supports previous findings that dogs can be trained to reliably detect the odour of PD.

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

SN - 1877-7171

JO - Journal of Parkinson's Disease

JF - Journal of Parkinson's Disease

ER -

Trained dogs can detect the odour of Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

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