There is no known cure for Parkinson’s Disease, a progressive neurological disorder that affects nearly 1 million people in the US. However, several leading tech companies are using big data to learn more about the chronic condition, which will hopefully lead to better treatment options in the future.
While Intel may be best known for manufacturing computer chips, they are also using their in-house technology to collect patient data on Parkinson’s. Various Intel devices measure more than 300 observations per second for each participating patient. Intel collects and analyzes patient data on their own optimized cloud platform, which supports an application that allows the tech company to track changes to data patterns in real time.
Since Parkinson’s can cause gradually worsening tremors, stiffness, and slower movement, objectively tracking a patient’s movements down to fractions of a second can help researchers better understand the progression of the disease.
Intel’s capacity to collect and analyze big data could lead to major developments in Parkinson’s Disease research. In the future, the company’s cloud-based platform may even be used to collect genome and clinical trial data, and to produce more accurate predictive models for the symptoms of the neurological condition.
Intel and Beyond: Tech Companies Investing in Parkinson’s Research
Intel isn’t the only tech company getting involved in Parkinson’s research. Engineers at Apple have been working with leading medical research institutes, including the Mayo Clinic, to develop apps that will aid in the research of Parkinson’s Disease and other chronic or debilitating conditions. IBM has partnered with Apple and has also developed their own Watson Health Unit, a program that is helping medical research organizations build fully complaint research clouds for clinical data storage.
While they may be a smaller tech player, Mio, a company best known for manufacturing fitness wearables, is also investing in collecting data on Parkinson’s. Mio has developed a heartrate monitor (worn around the wrist) to track the progress of patients with Parkinson’s as they complete prescribed exercises in an effort to reduce their symptoms. In a 12-week pilot program, the tech company found that patients who completed the prescribed exercises experienced a 25% improvement in manual dexterity.
As big data collection and analysis becomes streamlined, medical research into conditions like Parkinson’s Disease is poised to make great strides in Parkinson’s treatment and potential cures. And when research improves, so do the lives of the people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
