Blood test not conclusive for Parkinson’s, experts say

Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007 | 7:02 a.m.

CARSON CITY - Gov. Jim Gibbons sought to allay concerns about his health last week by saying a blood test showed that his hand tremors are not a sign of Parkinson's disease, a degenerative brain disorder.

However, medical resources consulted by the Sun this week say that blood tests are of no use in diagnosing Parkinson's, which brings on progressively debilitating tremors.

According to the Web site of the Mayo Clinic, one of the world's leading health care providers, "Because no definitive tests exist for Parkinson's ... a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is based on your medical history, observations of your signs and a neurological examination. As part of our medical history, your doctor will want to know about any medications you take and whether you have a family history of Parkinson's."

The governor made the statement about the blood tests to a reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He was commenting on hand tremors revealed publicly when Gibbons had trouble raising his hand to take the oath of office and then again as he signed a proclamation.

Gibbons said the tremors were made worse because he drank a caffeinated energy beverage the day he was sworn in.

Asked Wednesday about Gibbons' statement about the blood tests, his communications director, Brent Boynton, said the governor had been given a battery of tests, including blood tests, before his doctor told him he doesn't suffer from Parkinson's. Gibbons mistakenly assumed the blood tests cleared him of the disease, Boynton said.

Confusion over Gibbons' medical condition has lingered because he has not given his physician permission to speak publicly about his health and refuses to release his medical records. The governor has given sometimes contradictory accounts of when he learned of the condition and his press office has issued clarifications.

The governor has said a cousin told him the tremors are a familial condition. He has said he didn't know about the condition while he was a military and civilian pilot.

He also said, however, that the Air Force and his civilian employers would have known about the tremors when he took and passed flight physicals.

Sun reporter Ed Koch contributed to this report.