AI sniffs earwax and detects Parkinson’s with 94% accuracy

"AI sniffs earwax and detects Parkinson’s with 94% accuracy
Date:
    June 18, 2025
Source:
    American Chemical Society
Summary:
    Imagine diagnosing Parkinson s disease not with pricey scans or
subjective checklists, but with a simple ear swab. Scientists in China
have developed a promising early screening method that detects Parkinson
s from subtle changes in the scent of ear wax yes, really. By analyzing
specific volatile compounds in ear wax and feeding that data into an
AI-powered olfactory system, they achieved 94% accuracy in identifying
who had the disease. If expanded successfully, this low-cost,
non-invasive technique could transform early detection and treatment of
this debilitating neurological disorder.
..
"This method is a small-scale single-center experiment in China," says
Dong. "The next step is to conduct further research at different stages
of the disease, in multiple research centers and among multiple ethnic
groups, in order to determine whether this method has greater practical
application value.""