Scientists have discovered changes in body odor in Parkinson's disease and cognitive impairment

Parkinson's disease and cognitive impairment may be accompanied by changes in body odor chemistry. Moreover, it was possible to detect characteristic differences even by the smell in the navel area. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The experiment involved 24 people: six each with Parkinson's disease, mild cognitive impairment and COVID-19, as well as six healthy volunteers. Samples were taken from each person's nose, ear area and navel.

Scientists have studied volatile organic compounds that form human odor. The most pronounced differences between groups were found in samples from the nose and navel. There was a particularly clear difference between healthy people and participants with mild cognitive impairment.

Additionally, the researchers took samples from three more patients with Parkinson's disease. Their chemical profile appeared to be similar to that of participants with the same disease in the original group.

In the future, body odor analysis could be a simple and non-invasive way to detect signs of disease. However, the research so far has been small.