An Oxford-based medical technology startup GaitQ And the Swiss medical devices company MachineMD Announced a joint award of a $1 million research grant from Innovation UK And That he had known To enable the collection and analysis of important movement data from people with Parkinson’s disease (PwP).
The grant will fund an 18-month research project that will record movement data from 100 UK and Swiss PwP people as they go about their daily lives, to help monitor disease progression more effectively.
The data will be used to identify patterns of behavior and provide doctors with insight to deliver more effective treatment plans, ultimately helping in early detection and treatment of the condition. Data will be collected and analyzed in University of Exeter (UoE) and University Hospital Zurich (USZ).
The grant was announced on World Parkinson’s Day (11y April marks an important moment for the 10 million people worldwide living with the disease according to the company, a number it says is expected to double by 2030.
Parkinson’s disease is a movement condition with great variation in disease progression between individuals. By mapping these biomarkers in motion, gaitQ and machineMD hope to identify critical moments in the development of Parkinson’s disease and unlock better insight for better treatment.
“Typically, Parkinson’s disease can develop at a different pace in different individuals, so the impact varies greatly. This research identifies the key moments at which the condition progresses and aims to understand more about what causes this and why. Dr Tristan Collins, CEO of gaitQ, said: “This can help specialist doctors and physiotherapists create more appropriate and personalized treatment plans, ultimately helping PwP to manage their condition more independently and effectively.”
“People with Parkinson’s disease may remain asymptomatic of motor symptoms until 50-60% of dopaminergic neurons are lost and treatment does not begin until the late stage of the disease,” said Dr. Anna Cueto, neuroscientist at MachineMD. “Early and accurate diagnosis as well as monitoring are still important.” The subtleties of disease progression present important challenges.
“Abnormal motor function has been reported in 75-87.5% of Parkinson’s patients. Through this research grant, we aim to identify valuable digital biomarkers, which may help monitor diseases more accurately – opening new possibilities for timely treatment and strategies.” Personal therapeutic.