Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s and affects more than 8.5 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
The study conducted from 2013 to 2016 compared data from people with Parkinson’s disease and those diagnosed up to seven years later.
A groundbreaking study has discovered that wearable movement-tracking devices, such as smartwatches with accelerometers, have the ability to detect Parkinson’s disease before its official diagnosis. Researchers analyzed data from over 103,000 individuals who wore medical-grade wearables for seven days. They continuously monitored their movement speed, as Parkinson’s disease primarily affects movement and often includes tremors. The study suggests that commonly used smartwatches can serve as early detection tools for Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease symptoms typically develop gradually, which often leads to significant irreversible damage before an official diagnosis is made.
The study, conducted from 2013 to 2016, compared data from individuals already diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease to those who received a diagnosis up to seven years after the collection of smartwatch data.
Furthermore, the study demonstrated that artificial intelligence (AI) could identify individuals in the general population who may develop Parkinson’s disease later in life, and even predict the timing of its onset.
Dr. Cynthia Sandor, the lead researcher from the UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University, emphasized that these findings could revolutionize both research and clinical practice, enabling patients to access treatments at an earlier stage. It is crucial to note that by the time of diagnosis, most patients have already lost a significant number of brain cells affected by Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Sandor suggests that devices like activity trackers and smartwatches could play a vital role in clinical monitoring.
The findings of this study were published in the prestigious Nature Journal.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – IANS)
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