EvergreenHealth Seeks Parkinson's Patients For Upcoming Study

KIRKLAND, WA — Kirkland's EvergreenHealth is looking for a few dozen Parkinson's patients who would be willing to participate in a clinical trial of a new device, designed to track symptoms and motor functions in those diagnosed in the last ten years. Starting next July, the hospital's Booth Gardner Parkinson's Care Center will run the study with its research partner nQ Medical.

Patients who participate in the trial will be also be paid for their time.

Researchers say the trial will help measure the effectiveness of a new, non-invasive device that monitors the consistency and severity of symptoms using a computer program. Patients will need to install an application and use their computers daily, for at least 15 minutes, over four weeks. The software will track each patient's typing patterns and generate an analysis.

"This is an exciting opportunity to help make a difference in how Parkinson's Disease symptoms are monitored and managed," said Dr. Pinky Agarwal. "We know that every day can bring a new or different challenge to those living with PD. Effective symptom management of this condition is very important and that starts with having the ability to accurately understand each patient's symptoms in between visits."

Researchers said existing Parkinson's care is limited by the level of reliable, consistent and objective data clinicians can collect during physical exams, which offer only "periodic snapshots." The tool, designed for both Apple and Windows-based computers, could help narrow the gap and account for fluctuations over time.

"To gather objective data about the severity and consistency of symptoms in PD patients in between in-person visits, the nQ Medical software tool [assesses] aspects of fine motor performance during natural typing on personal computers," researchers explained. "Unlike a keylogger, nQ's application monitors how you type and not what your type; using a machine learning enhanced method of analysis, the device looks for subtle patterns in the cadence of typing that are clinically useful."

Parkinson's patients who are interested in participating in the trial can contact the research team at 425-899-5385.