INNOVATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Paul Wicks , vice president of innovation at PatientsLikeMe, says that the PVA can change the way physicians treat their patients.PATIENTSLIKEME, INC
Parkinson’s disease could one day be monitored and managed by a 10-second phone call. At least, that’s the hope driving the Patient Voice Analysis (PVA), a collaboration between mathematician Max Little, the online community PatientsLikeMe, and nonprofit research organization Sage Bionetworks. The aim is to develop voice analysis tools that can map Parkinson’s disease progression.
Each year, about 60,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, an incurable and degenerative neurological disorder that affects movement, muscle control, and balance. The disease, which affects one in six people over the age of 60, is most often characterized by motor-related symptoms such as a resting tremor, rigidity, and slow movement with an awkward gait. These symptoms fluctuate—often in response to treatment—but gradually worsen over time.
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