BRISTOL, July 16, 2025 – Specially trained dogs can detect Parkinson’s disease with striking accuracy by sniffing skin swabs, a new UK study has revealed—offering hope for earlier, cheaper, and non-invasive diagnosis of the condition.
The research, led by the University of Bristol in collaboration with Medical Detection Dogs and the University of Manchester, involved a rigorously controlled double-blind trial using samples from more than 200 people. Two dogs, trained to recognise the smell of Parkinson’s from skin swabs, successfully identified those with the disease at sensitivity rates of up to 82% and specificity of 92 to 100%—meaning they rarely made mistakes, even when other health conditions were present.
Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement and coordination, currently has no definitive diagnostic test. Diagnosis typically relies on observing motor symptoms, which often don’t appear until the disease is well advanced. That delay means missed opportunities for early intervention that could slow its progression.
In this new study, researchers collected sebum samples—an oily substance produced by the skin—from the backs of participants’ necks using sterile gauze. These samples came from people both with and without Parkinson’s, some of whom had other medical conditions to ensure the dogs weren’t just detecting general illness. The dogs were not told which samples were which, ensuring a fully blind test.
Dr. Nicola Rooney, who led the study from Bristol’s Veterinary School, said the results were “remarkable.” She explained: “Our dogs not only detected people with Parkinson’s but were able to distinguish them from those with other neurological and age-related conditions. They consistently identified an olfactory signature distinct to patients with the disease.”
Claire Guest, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Medical Detection Dogs, said the research shows that “once again, dogs can very accurately detect disease—often far earlier than traditional methods. This work opens up exciting possibilities for developing new early detection techniques for Parkinson’s.”
The findings, published in The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, are the latest in a growing body of evidence suggesting that Parkinson’s may alter the body’s natural scent. Previous research has indicated that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the sebum of patients may carry chemical markers of the disease. In fact, the field of Parkinson’s odour detection first gained public attention when a “super-smeller” woman in the UK identified the disease’s distinct scent on her husband before his diagnosis—a discovery that sparked global interest in scent-based diagnostics.
While dogs themselves may not be used in routine clinical settings, the researchers believe that identifying the specific compounds they detect could lead to the development of electronic “noses” or chemical sensors that replicate the dogs’ diagnostic ability. These tools could one day be used in clinics, helping doctors detect Parkinson’s in its earliest stages.
The team now hopes to expand the trial to larger and more diverse groups and to investigate whether similar methods could be used to identify other neurodegenerative diseases.