Joy Milne, Woman Who Can Smell Parkinson's, has Helped Develop A Diagnostics Test for the Disease

Joy Milne Holding a Photograph of Her Late Husband, Les - Courtesy of Forocoches

Joy Milne, a 72-year-old from Perth, Scotland had noticed her late Husband Les had developed a different odor over their marriage, she was able to detect this 12 years before he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's. Milne claims the disease smells 'Musky.'

Her ability to detect her husbands parkinsons led doctors to question the possibilities of her condition. she was dubbed "the woman who can smell Parkinson's"

Academics at the University of Manchester recently announced the development of a test that can diagnose the disease by rubbing a simple cotton bud along the back of the neck. This was possible in large part to Joy Milne.

Age-Adjusted death rates for Parkinson's disease- courtesy of the CDC

Parkinson's leads to parts of the brain shutting down progressively over many years. The disease has led to millions of deaths with an uptick in the 21st century. Over six and a half million individuals in the United Kingdom died between 2001 and 2014, with 90,000 succumbing to neurological diseases, with Parkinson's being the most prevalent. This scientific breakthrough will hopefully allow individuals to get ahead on treatment and possibly extend their lives.

Source	Article Title
Sky News	Woman who can 'smell Parkinson's' helps scientists come up with breakthrough diagnostic test​
Medical Press	Experts address the rapidly rising number of deaths from Parkinson's disease