OBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

Parkinson’s disease is a common neurological disorder due to the progressive loss of dopaminergic and other neurons in a small area of ​​the subcortical brain structures. Patients with Parkinson’s often have impairments in their motor skills. In addition to bent posture, restlessness, stiffness, immobility (or slow motion) and instability, Motor blocks are another common negative feature of the disease. Motor blocks most commonly affect patients’ feet while walking, and are generally referred to as FOG. The World Health Organization estimates that about 10 million people worldwide have Parkinson’s disease. At European level, according to the European Parkinson’s Disease Association (EPDA), about 1% of people over the age of 60 suffer from the disease. However, in 10% of these patients the disease is diagnosed before the age of 50. There is also a juvenile form of the disease that occurs in people under the age of 40 and accounts for 5-10% of all Parkinson’s disease patients. Parkinson’s is just one of many neurodegenerative disorders, estimated to be 2040 more likely to develop in 2040 even in cases of cancer.
The solution we propose in this research proposal aims at four main objectives:

  1. Improving the quality of life of Parkinson’s patients by addressing the issue of “Freezing of Gait – FOG” by creating visual and auditory stimuli.
  2. Remote monitoring of patients with Parkinson’s disease by an attending physician via an online platform.
  3. Combining various data sources with recorded gait monitoring data to provide a more accurate assessment of the patient’s current condition, to analyze and evaluate disease progression.
  4. In evaluating the efficacy of various therapies and correlating the efficacy and cost.

According to the European Parkinson’s Disease Association (EPDA), early medication in combination with therapeutic interventions can reduce the financial impact of Parkinson’s disease – and in some cases delay the progression of the disease. , in order to maintain the patient’s quality of life for a longer period. Other benefits that can be gained from such preventive approaches include reducing hospital admissions, relapse rates and severity of symptoms. Of course, improving the quality of life of patients is not just about reducing the cost of care and treatment – it is a primary goal. Finding the right treatment, as the symptoms of the disease change over time, is important and requires the expertise of specialist health professionals. Our holistic approach will serve as a very important tool for these professionals and help them make better decisions.

The purpose of this research project is to develop an integrated system consisting of a gait analyzer and a telemetry and data analysis platform designed to systematically monitor patients with Parkinson’s remotely. The system is part of a 5A’s self-management approach (ask, advice, assess, assist and arrange) that will be supported through the web platform that will be developed.

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