Could a new sensory pen assist in the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s?

Objective and quantitative assessment of motor function in Parkinson’s disease—from the perspective of practical applications

“…Therefore some studies have been focused on atypical motions, like drawing ability (17) and movement symmetry (18,19), which may become a supplementary basis for the early diagnosis of PD. A recent study suggested that a digital pen implanted with the Manus Platform (a novel sensor system) could discriminate early PD patients from control subjects who did not have PD but did have other impairments or PD-like symptoms (such as essential tremor) (17). The promising result made it possible to be a low-cost alternative to DATSCAN (17).…”

“…A recent study suggested that a digital pen implanted with the Manus Platform (a novel sensor system) could discriminate early PD patients from control subjects who did not have PD but did have other impairments or PD-like symptoms (such as essential tremor) (17). The promising result made it possible to be a low-cost alternative to DATSCAN (17). Also, early PD patients may exhibit very subtle asymmetrical gait and hand movements (19), which are hard to be observed and evaluated by naked eyes.…”

Opposite Effects of Visual Cueing During Writing-Like Movements of Different Amplitudes in Parkinson’s Disease

“…As novel technology is invading the field of neurorehabilitation, the development of digitized pens and tablets holds promise for writing training. 58 Such devices are able to provide cueing or feedback when writing quality starts to deteriorate. Also, intermittent cueing or performance feedback may stimulate the formation of an internal representation of the motor task and, thus, stimulate consolidation of learning.…”

Nanotechnology platforms in Parkinson’s Disease

“…Such pressure sensors and detectors can be of use to detect PD. Parkinson's Pen itself in its initial testing was able to distinguish 10 people with PD from age-and sexmatched controls with 90% sensitivity and 80 % specificity [134]. A clinical trial with a larger sample size is underway to confirm the sensitivity and specificity of the promising device [134].…”

“…Parkinson's Pen itself in its initial testing was able to distinguish 10 people with PD from age-and sexmatched controls with 90% sensitivity and 80 % specificity [134]. A clinical trial with a larger sample size is underway to confirm the sensitivity and specificity of the promising device [134]. This technology will have applications in diagnostics, pre-symptomatic screening, disease monitoring, treatment response and rehabilitation.…”