Intel in conjunction with the Michael J. Fox Foundation announced the launch of a joint research campaign, in which the leading technology giant will use hand-held devices and smart phones to effectively monitor the status of the body of people with Parkinson's disease. The idea is to provide people with this diagnosis wearable accessories, for example, "smart" watch that will record data such as hand movements, body temperature, sleep quality and other indicators of the state of the body that will help researchers better understand the features of the course disease, and doctors time to pay attention to the deterioration of their patients and adjust treatment. Interestingly, in the course of the study will be applied not just disparate devices, followed by long-term collection and analysis of data, and a complete system with a unique analytical platform, operating in real time.
Currently, the technology is being tested on volunteers, among whom there are also patients with an established diagnosis. All of them are on hand electronic device in the form factor of hours that continuously collects a variety of data with built-in body sensors and continuously sends data on the state of the organism in the data center. It is reported that each participant research scientists get about 300 records per second, which is quite a large volume of data. To effectively process and monitor the status of Intel developed the cloud system and special processing algorithms that compare the condition of the body with the norm and indicate if any parameters deviate from the values given.
As part of this program has provided Intel's own resources, including hardware platform and software based on Cloudera CDH, which is engaged in the collection, centralization and analysis of all information received. It is argued that the capacity of the system allows us to analyze all incoming information in real time and without delay notify the change in status of a particular person. In the future it may be used to send the message immediately to the patient's health doctor. Currently, Intel and MJFF examine only the current change of the patients without medication, but already this year in the app stores for mobile devices will be an application that will allow patients to schedule medication, as well as write short reports on the state of health. This will allow scientists to study in detail the dynamics of change in the state of patients taking a particular drug, and compare it with a control group that did not receive study treatment.
Parkinson's disease - a chronic, relentlessly progressive disease of the nervous system, which is characterized by loss of neurons that produce a special substance - dopamine. As a result, a person develops an uncontrollable tremor (shaking) hands, rigidity (increased muscle tone), unsteady gait, and in the future - gross violations of intelligence. According to MJFF, registered in the world millions of people with this diagnosis. Special tragedy of the situation makes the fact that there is currently no effective means of prevention and treatment of Parkinson's disease, as well as a clear understanding of the causes of this disease. In 1992, the diagnosis was well-known American actor Michael J. Fox, the most well-known to the general public on the role of Marty McFly in a fantastic trilogy "Back to the Future." In the early 2000s he founded MJFF - Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, a fund dedicated to research in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Parkinson's disease. The fund is currently invested in the search for an effective medication about 450 million dollars, and the Michael J. Fox in 2010, he received an honorary doctorate for his contribution to the study of disease.