What can’t a smart phone do? Well, I know there is quite a list but when I get my new one, I will text by voice which I’m excited about (thank you, Margaret). But today, there is news of a new application which will help your doctor monitor your Parkinson’s disease. Read more about it at this smart phone article for Viartis ..
PARKINSON’S DISEASE NEWS
http://www.viartis.net/parkinsons.disease/news.htm
3rd April 2015 – New research
MONITORING PARKINSON’S DISEASE USING SMARTPHONES
Smartphones have been assessed for their use in monitoring Parkinson’s Disease. A smartphone (smart phone) is a mobile phone with an advanced mobile operating system. For more information go to : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone
Participants were provided with smartphones with an Android operating system containing a smartphone application that assessed voice, posture, gait, finger tapping, and response time. They underwent in-clinic assessments, including the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), which is the most used Parkinson’s Disease symptom questionnaire.
Participants then took the smart phones home to perform the five tasks four times a day for a month. Once a week they had a remote visit with a Parkinson’s Disease specialist in which a modified (excluding assessments of rigidity and balance) UPDRS was performed. The analyses of the five tasks differed between those people with Parkinson Disease and those people who did not have Parkinson’s Disease. There was a high degree of accuracy. In discriminating participants with Parkinson’s Disease the mean sensitivity was 96% and the mean specificity was 96%.
Measuring Parkinson’s Disease symptoms via a smartphone is highly accurate in distinguishing people with Parkinson’s Disease. The researchers conclude that it is therefore feasible and has potential value as a diagnostic support tool.
Reference : Parkinsonism Related Disorders [2015] Mar 7 [Epub ahead of print] (S.Arora, V.Venkataraman, A.Hang, S.Donohue, K.M.Biglan, E.R.Dorsey, M.A.Little)
Complete abstract : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25819808
http://www.viartis.net/parkinsons.disease/news/150403.pdf mail@viartis.net
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