--- title: MRI Scans Detect Parkinson's Disease in it's Earliest Stages, Study Finds description: Researchers say a new scanning technique could detect the earliest stages of Parkinson's disease in the brain, before its symptoms become apparent in the body canonical: https://time.com/2860630/mri-scans-can-detect-early-onset-of-parkinsons-study-finds/ author: Dan Kedmey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-11T20:06:13.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T08:21:43.877Z article:section: Health og:title: MRI Scans Detect Parkinson's Disease in it's Earliest Stages, Study Finds og:description: Researchers say a new scanning technique could detect the earliest stages of Parkinson's disease in the brain, before its symptoms become apparent in the body og:url: https://time.com/2860630/mri-scans-can-detect-early-onset-of-parkinsons-study-finds/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt19b4c2ad36ed6185/6986972f169ab08b69279dd5/182682597.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4288 og:image:height: 2412 og:image:alt: 182682597 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: MRI Scans Detect Parkinson's Disease in it's Earliest Stages, Study Finds twitter:description: Researchers say a new scanning technique could detect the earliest stages of Parkinson's disease in the brain, before its symptoms become apparent in the body twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt19b4c2ad36ed6185/6986972f169ab08b69279dd5/182682597.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # MRI Scans Can Detect Early Onset of Parkinson's, Study Finds > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=30a07f08-3d8f-486e-a9d1-7c4465d9c80b&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1)  by [Dan Kedmey](https://time.com/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Jun 11, 2014 8:06 PM UTC  brain brain Getty Images  by [Dan Kedmey](https://time.com/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Jun 11, 2014 8:06 PM UTC Oxford University researchers say that by simply having a patient hold still in an MRI scanner, they can detect the early onset of Parkinson’s disease. The new technique, called “resting state fMRI,” allows researchers to scan neural connections in the basal ganglia part of the brain, where Parkinson’s patients tend to suffer marked declines in connectivity. Researchers found that by using a certain threshold of connectivity, they could predict the onset of Parkinson’s in 11 out of 13 patients, or with 85% accuracy. “We are excited that this MRI technique might prove to be a good marker for the earliest signs of Parkinson’s,” lead researcher Clare Mackay said. “The results are very promising.” The researchers say early detection could pave the way for new, preventative treatments to the degenerative disorder. There is no known cure to Parkinson’s disease, though there are treatments that can suppress symptoms including tremors, stiffening muscles and impaired movement. 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