用智能手机也能预测帕金森症状
帕金森病的症状包括肌肉僵硬、震颤、言语和步态的变化。诊断后，治疗可以帮助缓解症状，但没有完全治愈的方法。
临床神经科学部的研究人员发现，在智能手机上进行一个简单的测试可以帮助预测帕金森症早期患者的未来病症的走势。
这项研究由NIHR牛津生物医学研究中心支持，并由英国帕金森大学纪念碑信托基金会发现奖资助，有可能促进一种更个性化的帕金森治疗方法，并允许临床医生针对最有可能受益的患者进行治疗。
智能手机测试指导用户完成7项任务，来评估声音、平衡力、行走力、反应时间、手指敲击能力、身体颤抖程度。
这项测试总共需要7分钟的时间，它利用智能手机中的传感器来连续、准确地测量不同类型的运动。
这项测试的一部分常规测试能在诊所和家里完成，另一些评估需要在诊所完成，比如核对标准项、认知功能评估以及问卷调查。
有几乎1000种不同的统计特征从测试中提取出来，输入机器学习算法中，从而使机器学习算法能被用于预测早期患者未来的症状。
牛津大学临床研究研究员克里斯汀•洛说：“这项研究的主要驱动力是通过找到更好的方法来预测帕金森症在个体基础上随着时间的推移可能会有怎样的变化，因为它的疾病程度因人而异。”
罗克莉丝汀说：“在这项研究中，我们已经证明，通过在智能手机上进行一个相当简单的测试，我们可以准确地预测未来的临床结果，这可能使我们更容易为帕金森病患者量身定制治疗方案。”
“未来的研究方向可能包括研究这些知识成果是否有助于直接干预帕金森症，例如改变生活方式或治疗方案，以造福患者及其家人。”
贝基士是帕金森英国研究中心的负责人，他说：“帕金森病是一种非常不同的疾病，有40多种症状，对每个人的影响都不一样。目前，还没有一项评估能够预测某人可能在未来经历的症状类型或出现的时间，这意味着很难为未来制定治疗计划，并确保每个人都能获得改善生活质量所需的治疗。
这项研究首次表明，7分钟的智能手机测试有助于预测18个月后帕金森症对人的影响。借助于包括机器学习算法在内的技术，这个巧妙的研究总有一天能帮助帕金森病患者提供更好的护理。
帕金森症最常见的5个症状
嗅觉丧失
低血压或嗅觉丧失是帕金森病的一个很常见的症状。这种嗅觉障碍正在影响全世界大约70%到90%的帕金森症患者。它是帕金森症中与运动方面无关的明显症状之一。
抖动
帕金森病的早期症状是手部颤抖。许多医生认为震颤是这种疾病的一个关键特征。它经常表现为下巴、腿或手的持续抖动或抽搐。
平衡力差
帕金森氏病尤其针对基底节，基底节是位于大脑深处的神经细胞。这些部分负责控制柔韧性和平衡，因此对这些神经的任何损伤都会影响平衡。
面部僵硬
面部表情涉及许多复杂、微妙的肌肉运动。通常来说，帕金森病患者表现面部表情的能力会越来越差。脸上的肌肉会比平时更僵硬、更缓慢。
行走困难
人体行走方式的细微变化也可能是帕金森病的早期症状。如果患有这种疾病，走路会比平时慢。许多人常把这种情况称为步态不稳。
原文节选
Parkinson’s disease affects the nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine. Parkinson’s disease symptoms include muscle rigidity, tremors, and changes in speech and gait. After diagnosis, treatments can help relieve symptoms, but there is no cure.
Researchers in Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences have found that a simple test carried out on a smartphone can help to predict future change in people in the early stages of Parkinson’s.
The study, supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and funded by the Monument Trust Discovery Award from Parkinson"s UK, has the potential to foster a more personalised approach to the treatment of Parkinson’s and allow clinicians to target interventions to those individuals most likely to benefit.
The smartphone test guides users through seven tasks assessing voice, balance, walking, reaction time, finger tapping, rest tremor and postural tremor.
The test, which takes around seven minutes in total to perform, makes use of the sensors in smartphones to measure different kinds of movement consistently and accurately.
The test was carried out in clinic and at home on a range of regular consumer smartphones and was matched to standard motor, cognitive and functional assessments and questionnaires that were conducted in clinic.
Almost 1,000 different statistical features were extracted from each test and fed into machine learning algorithms, which were taught to make the predictions.
"The main driver for this study was to improve clinical care by finding better ways of predicting how Parkinson’s is likely to progress over time on an individual basis, as its course can vary greatly from person to person", said Christine Lo, Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Oxford Parkinson"s Disease Centre (OPDC) and a member of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences.
"In this study, we’ve been able to show that, using a fairly simple smartphone test, we can accurately predict key future clinical outcomes, 18 months before they occur, potentially making it easier to tailor treatment to individuals with Parkinson’s", Christine Lo said.
"Future avenues of research may include looking at whether such knowledge may help direct interventions such as lifestyle changes or therapy input, with the aim of benefitting patients and their families."
Dr Beckie Port, Research Manager at Parkinson"s UK said: "Parkinson"s is a hugely varied condition with over 40 symptoms that affect each individual differently. Today, there is currently no assessment that can predict what type of symptoms someone may experience or when they may appear, which means it is hard to plan for the future and ensure that each individual is given access to the treatments and therapies they need to improve their quality of life.
"This research study, for the first time, shows that a 7-minute smartphone test could help predict how Parkinson"s may affect someone 18-months later. By leaning on technology, including machine learning algorithms, this ingenious project could one day help with the delivery of better care for everyone with Parkinson"s."
Top 5 Parkinson Symptoms
Loss of Smell
Hyposmia or the loss of ability to smell is a quite common sign of Parkinson’s disease. This olfactory dysfunction is affecting around 70% to 90% of people around the world. In fact, it is one of the most obvious symptoms of this health issue which is not associated with movements.
Tremors
An early sign of Parkinson’s disease is tremors in your hands or cramped handwriting. Many doctors believe that tremors are a key feature of this condition. It often features a persistent shaking or twitching of the chin, legs, or hands.
Poor Balance
Parkinson’s disease particularly targets basal ganglia, which are nerve cells located deep inside your brain. These parts are responsible for controlling flexibility and balance so any damage to those nerves would impair your balance.
Facial Masking
Facial expressions basically involve many complex, subtle muscle movements. Those with Parkinson’s disease usually have a worsened ability to show their facial expressions, which is also known as facial masking. The muscles in your face will move more rigidly and slowly than usual.
Difficulty Walking
Subtle changes in the walking pattern of a person would also be an early symptom of Parkinson’s disease. If you are suffering from this disorder, it is likely to cause you to drag the feet when walking or walk slower than usual. Many people often refer to this condition as a shuffling gait.
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