BREAKTHROUGH

Digital Devices Effective for Tracking Parkinson’s Progression, Study Shows

Researchers remain hopeful that the results can be translated to other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Wearable digital devices that track movement are more effective than clinical observations at tracking the progression of Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study from researchers at Oxford University. Each subject in the study received six sensors that tracked 122 physiological metrics in total with several dozen metrics such as toe movement and stride length linked to disease progression. The New York Times reported that the devices were “not a treatment for Parkinson’s. Rather, they are a means of helping scientists gauge whether novel drugs and other therapies for Parkinson’s are slowing the progression of the disease.” Researchers remain hopeful that the results can be translated to other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.