Overview

• Researchers collected earwax samples from 209 individuals, including 108 diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and analyzed them using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.
• Four volatile organic compounds—ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane—were identified as potential Parkinson’s biomarkers.
• An artificial intelligence olfactory model trained on these VOC profiles distinguished Parkinson’s patients from healthy controls with 94% accuracy.
• The study was conducted at a single research center in China with a relatively homogeneous cohort, underscoring current limitations.
• Researchers plan multi-center trials across diverse ethnic groups and disease stages to validate the screening tool’s broader applicability.