“Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination. Parkinson’s symptoms usually begin gradually and get worse over time. As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking and talking. They may also have mental and baehavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue ” National Institute of Aging says.
When it comes to Parkinson disease, it is significant to monitor and realize about the changes and progression of the disease. For this purpose, scientists from UCL and Birbeck, University of London have created the APP which allows monitor it at home, which might be groundbreaking for the society suffering because of Parkinson.
Usually, test for Parkinson are assesed during an appointment with a specialized doctor. The procedure is extremely time consuming, needs specialistic medical equipement and even though it takes so much commitment, it is still often not very detailed.
Scientist came up with the solution – an app that will do biannual checkups, which can be more frequent and be done in comfort of a patients home. Even though Parkinson’s symptoms vary from a patient to patient, even vary depending on the day, the new app seems to have a solution. It allows us to make multiple readings over a longer period of time and it will capture the fluctuations more accurately.
CloudUPDRS (the app) is certified in the UK’s medical regulations and it is assessed as a medical device. The program includes physical test and self-assessment questions. It uses mobile motion and touch sensors to assess symptoms such as tremor and gait. Scientists tested the software in a trial involving 60 individuals dealing with Parkinson’s disease. They performed 990 tests on the software and were also tested by three independent specialists. The study found that the app tests matched those of the doctors 70% of the time. This allowed further to develop the app to achieve 79% accuracy.
“Digital biomarkers developed using mobile and wearable technologies offer novel opportunities for disease management, especially in Parkinson’s, which sets distinctive challenges due to its complex presentation and high symptom variability.” the manufacturer of the app and scientist – Professor George Roussos says.
From what we can hear from the creators of the app it seems like a perfect idea. Fewer people are needed from medical staff, so they can focus on other patients, it is easier and quicker than the traditional way. Additionally, people do not have to leave the house for this specyfic reason, which might be big facilitation for sick people, especially in the times of a global pandemic. However, we have to remember, that there are also significant disadvantages to such an option. One of them is that it is not 100% effective, which might be a reason for further unconvinced and danger for patients health and life. Secondly, it is not always accessible, especially for older people, who do not know how to use such an app or do not have a smartphone. Also, some sick people can no longer use such solutions, as, as they shouldn’t be responsible for such checks since they are sick and might forger/not be able to.
And what do you think? Do you think that providing such solutions is making our life’s easier, or it only brings confusion and low accuracy?
sources:
- 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.technology.org/2020/12/29/new-app-could-help-monitoring-the-progressions-of-parkinsons-disease/> [Accessed 3 January 2021].
- National Institute on Aging. 2021. Parkinson’s Disease. [online] Available at: <https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/parkinsons-disease#:~:text=Parkinson’s%20disease%20is%20a%20brain,and%20get%20worse%20over%20time.> [Accessed 3 January 2021].
- Google.com. 2021. Redirect Notice. [online] Available at: <https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedirect.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS1574119217303607&psig=AOvVaw38yVGsXkFXjD49lGFHYE9B&ust=1609769563817000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCLihxJL5_-0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAT> [Accessed 3 January 2021].