Different Models Point Towards Environmental Triggers as Potential Cause of Parkinson’s
Researchers propose that Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition, could be largely triggered by environmental factors, offering the possibility of preventing a significant number of cases.
Exploring the Origin of Parkinson’s
For some time, scientists have been investigating whether the gradual loss of neurons associated with Parkinson’s disease primarily stems from olfactory nerves in the brain or nerves in the gut.
An international team of researchers now highlights a compelling model suggesting that toxic proteins may spread from either the olfactory nerves or the gut. Environmental damage in both regions could be the initial trigger for the neurodegenerative condition.
Substances inhaled through the nose, affecting the brain’s smell center, and those ingested through the stomach may both be responsible for Parkinson’s. Future studies aim to establish clearer connections between these factors.
Evidence of Parkinson’s as a Systemic Disease
Neurologist Ray Dorsey, from the University of Rochester Medical Center, believes that Parkinson’s is a systemic disease with initial roots in the nose and gut, linked to environmental factors that have been increasingly recognized as major contributors or even causes of the disease.
Toxicants found in dry cleaning and degreasing chemicals, air pollution, the use of herbicides and weed killers, as well as contaminated drinking water, are pointed out as potential environmental triggers leading to brain function breakdowns.
These triggers are believed to initiate the misfolding of the alpha-synuclein protein which then accumulates in Lewy bodies. These clumps eventually damage the brain’s nerve cells, including those responsible for motor control.
The Link Between Parkinson’s and Environmental Hazards
The new study reinforces previous confirmed links between Parkinson’s and various environmental hazards. However, unraveling these connections and determining the precise roles of the skin and microbiome, as well as how disease risk changes over prolonged exposures, requires further investigation.
Although exposures to these toxicants may occur years or even decades before Parkinson’s symptoms appear, using this hypothetical model for research may reveal the existence of these links.
Genetics, timing, dose, and duration of exposure, as well as interactions with other environmental factors, likely play key roles in determining who ultimately develops Parkinson’s disease.
A Shift Towards Preventability
Neurologist Ray Dorsey reinforces the idea that Parkinson’s disease, the world’s fastest growing brain disorder, may be fueled by toxicants and is therefore largely preventable. Identifying the factors that contribute to the development of the disease can have significant implications for public health.
The research on Parkinson’s disease has been published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.
