First portable system for monitoring patients with Parkinson's disease tested on 50 people from different countries

The evolution of the disease is monitored in real time and sent to the doctor to improve the prescription of medication

The first portable system for monitoring patients with Parkinson's disease is being tested on 50 people from different countries

The REMPARK European telemedicine project is coordinated by the Universitat Politcnica de Catalunya and has a budget of about 5 million. Also participating are the Hospital Quirn Teknon, Telefnica I+D, the European Parkinson's Disease Association and research centres and companies from Germany, Portugal, Italy, Israel, Ireland and Sweden.

Parkinson's disease is the second neurodegenerative disease in number of patients after Alzheimer's disease. The Technical Research Centre for Dependency Care and Autonomous Living (CETpD) of the Universitat Politcnica de Catalunya has developed a pioneering portable system for monitoring the motor status of Parkinson's disease patients in real time. The system also determines the status of patients while they are walking or during their daily activities and acts when the person has gait problems such as slowing or freezing. This system is being developed within the European project REMPARK (Personal Health Device for the Remote and Autonomous Management of Parkinson's Disease), coordinated by the CETpD. The project's aim is to improve the quality of life of patients with Parkinson's disease.

In addition to the UPC, also participating in the project are the Parkinson's Disease Unit of the Hospital Quirn Teknon, Telefnica I+D, the European Parkinson's Disease Association and research centres and companies in Germany, Portugal, Italy, Israel, Ireland and Sweden.

REMPARK's overall objective is to accurately determine and quantify the symptoms of the disease associated with motor status and to monitor their progression. Due to fluctuations, patients do not have a steady motor status throughout the day, but in some cases undergo dramatic changes. It is almost impossible for patients to record this information accurately. Since the treatment of Parkinson's disease is symptomatic, detailed knowledge of the patients' motor status is crucial in order to optimise treatment and improve their quality of life. This information will allow patients to be monitored more effectively and allow doctors to personalise and tailor treatment to the specific needs of the patients. The REMPARK system aims to be non-invasive and highly effective.

This is the first time in Europe that work has been done with outpatient data on Parkinson's disease: the system has been tested with 50 patients at home rather than in the laboratory. A total of more than 50 volunteers from Spain, Italy, Ireland and Israel have participated in REMPARK.

The project ends on April 30. The preliminary results are good and pilot tests have compared the data of volunteers from the three countries. These results will be presented in a workshop on 21 April in Madrid, at which the contribution of the medical, social and economic benefits will be assessed.

The application of REMPARK will increase the independence of patients; it will improve management of the disease and treatment and rehabilitation of patients, and will avoid hospital admissions due to falls or poor compliance with medication. If REMPARK is incorporated as a tool for diagnosis and monitoring of the disease, it will improve the healthcare system in Europe, provide higher quality and more personalised care for Parkinson's disease patients, and increase the sustainability of the public resources used.

The REMPARK project The fundamental part of REMPARK is an inertial system attached to the waist by a belt of biocompatible material, about the size of a mobile phone. It is fitted with a set of sensors and a wireless transmission system to send the measurement and treatment data. This system is capable of detecting symptomatological parameters of the disease and determining the status of the patient at all times (on-off fluctuations, freezing, and other disorders of Parkinson's disease).

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First portable system for monitoring patients with Parkinson's disease tested on 50 people from different countries