Jan 16, 2016 07:36 AM EST By Rashmi Kalia, UniversityHerald Reporter

In a recent investigation, researchers have discovered that a distinct urine odor may help indicate the onset of Alzheimer's disease, Tech Times reports.

The detection of Alzheimer's disease during its early stages is significant, as it results in significant improvements in health outcomes.

Researchers from the Monell Chemical Senses Center, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other institutions were able to discover that a unique urine odor exists among mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, before the Alzheimer's disease fully sets in.

"Now we have evidence that urinary odor signatures can be altered by changes in the brain characteristic of Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Bruce Kimball, a chemical ecologist at the USDA National Wildlife Research Center, in a press release, UPI reports.

"This finding may also have implications for other neurologic diseases."

The study results may help experts to develop non-invasive diagnostic tests to diagnose Alzheimer's disease early.

For the research study, the researchers examined three mouse models termed as "APP mice". The mice carried the brain pathology of Alzheimer's disease. The researchers performed behavioral and chemical analyses on the mouse models and discovered that each of the samples produced urine that is different to that of the control mice.

The results of the study suggested that a distinct urine odor is associated with the presence of an existing gene, instead of a development of new pathological changes in the brain.

"Establishing additional biomarkers in screening populations for AD will provide enhanced diagnostic specificity and will be critical in evaluating disease-modifying therapies," the authors wrote.  

The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports on Thursday, Jan. 14.

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