in the journal of JAMA Network Open demonstrates that widely available and easy-to-use consumer devices, such as an Apple Watch paired with an iPhone, have the capability to detect changes in Parkinson’s symptoms in individuals who are in the early stages of the disease. This latest study adds to the increasing body of evidence supporting the potential of these types of devices to monitor and track the progression of Parkinson’s symptoms over time.
The use of wearable technologies, like smartwatches, has the potential to contribute to a better understanding of progressive neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. This could also help in expediting the approval of new therapies, which is crucial as there are currently no drugs available to slow down the progression of this rapidly growing brain disease in the world.
The study published in the journal njp Parkinson’s Disease provides further evidence that easy-to-use consumer devices, such as an Apple Watch paired with an iPhone, can track changes in Parkinson’s symptoms over time for individuals in the early stages of the disease.
“Digital measures have the potential to offer objective, sensitive, real-world assessments of disease progression in Parkinson’s disease,” explained Jamie Adams, MD, an associate professor of Neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, the Center for Health + Technology, and the study’s lead author. “This study demonstrates that data collected from smartwatches can help monitor the progression of Parkinson’s disease.”tablets and smartphones have the capability to remotely monitor and detect changes in various aspects of the disease. These digital assessments may assist in evaluating the effectiveness of future treatments.”
“We are thrilled to witness the remarkable advancement of this one-of-a-kind project on behalf of Critical Path Institute,” stated Diane Stephenson, PhD, executive director of Critical Path for Parkinson’s consortium and co-author of the study. “The input received early and frequently from regulators has influenced this study in a way that now allows for connecting the clinical significance of symptoms measured by digital health technologies to the perspectives of individuals with first-hand experience. By collaborating The project is setting an example for other disease areas to emulate, by collaborating with patients, regulators, industry, and academic experts. Parkinson’s disease is multifaceted, with symptoms and progression differing greatly from person to person. The current methods used to monitor the disease are often subjective and only collect information sporadically during clinic visits. Consequently, these methods do not accurately reflect the daily lives of people with Parkinson’s, which has hindered the development of new treatments. On the other hand, smartwatches and smartphones have the capability to continuously monitor a variety of aspects of the disease.The disease symptoms, such as walking and shaking, can be detected by the devices. Finger tapping and voice recording tasks can provide additional information on speech-related symptoms. Adams and her team showed that the devices were able to distinguish between individuals with untreated early-stage Parkinson’s and age-matched controls.
The recent study, WATCH-PD, tracked early-stage Parkinson’s participants for 12 months. The data collected by the devices revealed significant declines in gait measures and an increase in tremor for the participants with early Parkinson’s over the year.The smartwatch detected slight tremors and changes in speech. It also identified decreased arm swing and a reduction in daily steps, which are common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The study’s findings align with previous long-term studies on the disease.
The study aimed to mimic a multi-center clinical trial for people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease who hadn’t undergone treatment. It involved collaboration from the pharmaceutical industry, regulators, researchers, and individuals with the disease. The WATCH-PD study has received an extension with funding from the M.The Michael J. Fox Foundation will be conducting a study in partnership with Takeda Pharmaceuticals to evaluate the use of digital measures for Parkinson’s clinical trials. The study will continue for an additional 18 months. Dr. Adam’s expressed that this study is a step forward in developing effective digital measures for future use in Parkinson’s clinical trials, which could potentially accelerate the development of treatments for patients. Other authors involved in the study include researchers from URMC, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Critical Path Institute, and other organizations.AbbVie Pharmaceuticals, Biogen’s Jeremy Edgerton, Clinical Ink’s David Anderson and Allen Best, and the Parkinson Study Group Watch-PD Study investigators and collaborators, including URMC’s Christopher Tarolli, conducted the research. Biogen, Takeda, and members of the Critical Path for Parkinson’s Consortium provided funding for the study.
