Europe UK (Commonwealth Union) – A recent study conducted by Cardiff University reveals that smartwatches have the potential to forecast the likelihood of Parkinson’s disease development up to seven years before clinical diagnosis. The research, that appeared in the journal Nature Medicine, was conducted by a team from Cardiff University’s Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute (NMHII) and the UK Dementia Research Institute. The study highlights the significance of wearable technology that tracks accelerometery, which measures the acceleration of motion. This technology could play a crucial role in identifying individuals in the general population who are at a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. While Parkinson’s disease is commonly associated with motor symptoms like tremors and slow movement, non-motor changes in the prodromal stage of the disease, occurring prior to the onset of these symptoms, can be detected several years in advance.
Dr Kathryn Peall, who is a Clinical Senior Lecturer in the NMHII, says “Parkinson’s disease is a progressive movement disorder caused by the loss of brain cells that use dopamine. However, by the time of clinical diagnosis approximately 50-70% of these brain cells will have been lost. This makes early diagnosis of the disease difficult.”
By analyzing data from the UK Biobank, which encompassed over 500,000 individuals aged 40-69 years and spanned from 2006, the researchers examined the relationship between accelerometery data and models incorporating genetics, lifestyle factors, blood biochemistry, and prodromal symptoms data. The study revealed that computer programs trained on accelerometery data exhibited the ability to differentiate individuals with clinically diagnosed Parkinson’s disease as well as those with prodromal Parkinson’s disease from the general population. None of the other data types investigated in the study displayed superior performance compared to accelerometery.
Researchers indicated that further studies will be required before this becomes available to the public. As the UK along with many other industrialized nations is set to see rapidly aging population which is likely to see a greater increase in cases of Parkinson’s disease which will make this technology even more required.
