Dr. Tony Schapira, working with Drs.
Platelets are the cells in blood that cause it to clot.
Platelets may seem an unusual tissue in which to study brain function, but many of the biochemical processes that occur in the brain also occur in platelets. The reports of Schapira and Parker have been subsequently confirmed by other investigators. One possible confounding factor was the level of debilitation. It was conceivable that debilitation associated with advanced PD might result in reduction in platelet mitochondrial activity in a fashion akin to the anemia caused by chronic disease. A second possible confounding factor was drug therapy.