Device for Tracking PD Motor Symptoms
- Stephanie Soto
- Aug 23
- 2 min read
Stanford University researchers have developed a portable device to help you monitor and track motor symptoms. This device will track your symptoms and provide your neurologist with updates. How cool!
Taken from the Stanford Report
KeyDuo, pictured above, pairs with your smartphone. Patients have to tap their fingers for 30 seconds on the device. "KeyDuo “allows a physician to better manage patients between infrequent in-person visits — and it creates a rich set of data points for a physician to assess motor outcomes and potential trends,” Helen Bronte-Stewart, MD, the study’s senior author and a professor at Stanford Medicine, said in a university news story. “Patients suddenly have more frequent interactions with their provider by using this tool remotely.”
People with PD usually are assessed every 6 months, sometimes more frequently. However, PD changes from day to day, so one visit will not give your provider the best complete picture. Additionally, 6 months is a lot for you to remember. "KeyDuo measures the force of a patient’s taps on the levers, the speed at which the lever moves, and the extent of its downward movement. The results are transmitted to clinicians in real time." Researches studied this device on 30 adults with PD. The results found that the mobility scores were significantly correlated with results from a standard assessment that is frequently used by your neurologist to measure motor function, the MDS-UPDRS II. Researches also found that the timing and strength of pushing the lever helped indentify tremors, which has been incredibly hard to capture previously. Researchers also found that KeyDuo was able to show when PD progresses from only affecting one side of the body, to then both sides. It was also able to record freezing and effectiveness of medications.
“The results with this [device] are objective and validated,” Bronte-Stewart said. “It will allow people to manage their medicines more carefully and allow health care providers to look after people between these rare visits.”
This device is not perfect, as it requires a table/flat surface to be used. However, this is a great step forward to allow patients to better track and manage their symptoms.
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