Smartwatches may detect Parkinson’s very early

A new study has revealed that wearable movement-tracking devices, like smartwatches with accelerometers, can identify Parkinson’s disease long before it is diagnosed.

A team of scientists analysed more than 103,000 people who wore medical-grade wearables for seven days. The researchers measured their speed of movement continuously.

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement, often including tremors. According to the researchers, commonly used smartwatches could be used to detect early signs of the disease.

The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease usually occur slowly, meaning that often, too much irreversible damage is done before the disease is officially diagnosed.

The study was conducted from 2013 to 2016 and it compared the data from people who already had Parkinson’s disease with those who were diagnosed up to seven years after the smartwatch data was collected.

Moreover, they also showed that AI could then be used to identify people in the general population who would develop the condition later in life. Interestingly, it can also predict the timing.

Study leader Dr Cynthia Sandor, of the UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University, said, as quoted by several media outlets, the findings could improve both research and clinical practice, “allowing patients to access treatments at an earlier stage”.

It is noteworthy that most patients have already lost most of the affected brain cells by the time of diagnosis. Dr Sandor maintained that devices such as “activity trackers and smartwatches could play a key role in clinical monitoring.”

The findings of the study were published in the Nature Journal. The Financial Express