An international study has found that changes in the gut microbiome may serve as an early warning sign for Parkinson’s disease, potentially identifying risk years before motor symptoms appear.
The research, published in Nature Medicine, analyzed data from 271 Parkinson’s patients, 43 individuals carrying the GBA1 gene variant without symptoms, and 150 healthy controls. Scientists discovered that approximately 25% of the gut microbiome in genetically predisposed but asymptomatic individuals shows an intermediate pattern — neither fully healthy nor indicative of disease.
This intermediate state suggests the intestinal microbiota could reflect early biological processes linked to neurodegeneration. The GBA1 gene variant is the most frequent genetic risk factor for Parkinson’s, increasing risk up to 30 times, though only 10% to 20% of carriers develop the disease over their lifetime.
Researchers identified 176 distinct bacterial species altered in people with Parkinson’s compared to those without the condition. They found differences in 142 bacterial species between healthy volunteers and individuals with the GBA1 mutation who remain asymptomatic, indicating that microbial changes may precede visible symptoms.
The study included participants from the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Turkey, analyzing samples from 638 diagnosed individuals and 319 controls. Experts note that detecting Parkinson’s earlier could improve intervention strategies, as current diagnosis often occurs after significant neurological damage has already taken place.
These findings support the growing recognition of the gut-brain axis in neurological disorders and highlight the potential for microbiome analysis to become a tool for early risk assessment in diverse populations.
