Study Rationale: People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) have few options for keeping their symptoms under control. An app that could automatically monitor PD symptoms, like tremors, could allow users to alter the amount of medication they take in response. We have developed a mobile app that collects data from a digital wearables that tracks typical symptoms of PD. We anticipate that people who use this app to remind them to take their medication can view the movement data collected by the digital bracelet and use this information to adjust the timing and dosage of their medication to better control their symptoms.
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that using the Soturi app will allow people with PD to optimize their medication so that they feel well all day.
Study Design: To be able to reliably detect and monitor tremors, we will first collect data from many people with PD to learn what those symptoms look like from the data alone. We will then use this information to recommend changes to the user’s medication schedule that will minimize symptoms for longer periods of time. In a pilot clinical exploration study, we will determine whether our app’s medication recommendations will make users feel better for longer than individuals who do not use the app, and instead follow the medication schedule originally prescribed by their doctor.
Impact on Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson’s disease: Knowing exactly how much medication a person should take would allow physicians to better treat people with PD. Our app has the potential to revolutionize PD care by giving doctors the information they need to make these treatment decisions, significantly improving the lives of people with PD.
Next Steps for Development: If successful, we will make our system available to as many people around the world as possible. Ultimately, even people in areas without expert neurologists could have a better way to manage their PD treatment and symptoms, simply by downloading an app.