Imagine being able to check how well you’re managing your Parkinson’s symptoms without having to go to the doctor’s office.
Researchers at the University of Rochester have come up with a quick and easy tool that lets people with Parkinson’s disease do just that, right from the comfort of their own home.
It’s a significant development for folks who find it challenging to get to a doctor, like those who live in rural areas or have trouble traveling.
How Does It Work?
So how does this wonder tool work? All you need is a webcam. Sit in front of it, tap your fingers 10 times, and the tool uses this simple test to measure how severe your symptoms might be.
Usually, when you go to the doctor’s office for Parkinson’s, they would ask you to do similar physical tasks to understand how well or not well you are doing. They rate your symptoms based on a set of official guidelines.
Here, the magic comes from artificial intelligence (AI). It watches your finger-tapping and figures out things like how fast you’re tapping and how big or small your taps are.
Then it uses this info to score your symptoms. What’s really cool is that the tool uses the same guidelines doctors do, making it a reliable way to keep tabs on how you’re doing.
How Good Is It?
The team tested the tool with 250 people around the world who have Parkinson’s. Then they compared the AI’s scores with those given by actual doctors.
The AI was nearly as good as expert nerve doctors in rating the severity of symptoms and did better than general doctors. That’s promising, especially for people who have a hard time getting to specialists.
Dr. Ehsan Hoque, one of the researchers, believes this tool can make healthcare more accessible.
“This is a great example of how we’re starting to use AI to help people outside of a traditional healthcare setting,” he says. “And it opens the door to making healthcare more equal and easier to get to for everyone.”
What’s Next?
While this tool is a big step forward, the researchers say it’s still a young technology. That means you shouldn’t use it as the only way to figure out how severe your Parkinson’s is.
Always consult with your doctor for a complete diagnosis and treatment plan. But the team is excited about what this could mean for the future.
They think this method could also be used for other movement-related health issues, not just Parkinson’s.
So next time you’re wondering how you’re doing on managing your Parkinson’s symptoms, remember this nifty tool could offer a quick check.
All you need is a webcam and a few minutes. Who knows? In the future, we might be managing a lot more of our healthcare this way, all thanks to the smart use of technology.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies that Vitamin B may slow down cognitive decline, and Mediterranean diet could help lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline, and results showing that Plant-based diets could protect cognitive health from air pollution.
The research findings can be found in npj Digital Medicine.
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