Meet the woman who can diagnose Parkinson's disease by smell

(Image credit: Twitter.com/BBCNews)

published 23 October 2015

Scottish-born Joy Milne has a rare talent — she can detect if someone has Parkinson's disease just by smelling them.

Milne, whose husband recently died of Parkinson's, discovered her ability after she noticed a change in her husband Les' body odor six years before he was diagnosed. She told the BBC that the smell was "subtle" and "musky." Researchers at the University of Edinburgh then tested Milne's claim by having her sniff 12 T-shirts and identify the six that had been worn by Parkinson's patients. Milne initially got 11 out of 12 guesses correct, incorrectly claiming one Parkinson's-free person had the disease. Months later, that person contacted the scientists informing them that he had been diagnosed, making Milne correct on all 12 counts.

Based on Milne's ability, scientists guess that Parkinson's causes changes in the molecular structure of the skin, giving it a slightly different scent. The charity Parkinson's U.K. is now funding research that looks into using odor as a diagnostic tool for the disease.