A team of scientists, including a Portuguese from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), has found that sounds can help assess the condition of people with Parkinson’s disease, according to an international study published this Thursday.
The study starts with the premise that we can all see the tremors that occur in many patients with Parkinson’s disease, but asks what happens when the main symptom is slowness or lack of movement.
The conclusion, according to a summary sent to Lusa FMUP, is that “what the eyes cannot perceive can now be captured and interpreted using sounds and artificial intelligence.”
The study, published in the journal Parkinsonism & Associates Disorders, involved 54 people with Parkinson’s disease and 28 people without the disease.
The researchers recorded sounds heard while performing simple motor tasks that patients frequently repeated, such as touching a table with their hands or spreading their fingers apart and closing them.
This was followed by analysis of these audio signals using “machine learning” models.
The speed and range of movements were taken into account, taking into account fluctuations and changes in the movements performed.
On World Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Day this Thursday, FMUP highlights that the main result of this research “is the creation of an algorithm that detects and analyzes the audio signals of people with movement problems, in particular slowness of movement (bradykinesia). ), one of the main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.”
“What’s interesting is that in some patients it may be easier to hear bradykinesia than to actually see it,” says Rui Araujo, an FMUP professor and neurology specialist, quoted in the abstract sent to Luza.
The scientists turned to existing technology to demonstrate that it is possible to more objectively assess and classify the movement problems characteristic of Parkinson’s disease, “avoiding the subjectivity and variability that results from classification based on imaging alone.”
“Quantitative and more objective measurement of the severity of patients’ symptoms may also lead to better diagnosis and may help better monitor treatment outcomes in clinical practice,” it also described
According to the team, the idea of motion listening in Parkinson’s disease arose from a case study involving a professional violinist who began to report increasing difficulty playing the violin.
Analysis of the audio signals in this case will show a decrease in the intensity and frequency of movements over time, consistent with audible tremor and bradykinesia, first documented by the same group of researchers.
Thus, one immediate application of the developed model is its use in clinical trials, where patients can be examined in a properly controlled environment.
The goal is that these types of models can be standardized and used in the clinic or even in patients’ homes.
In addition to Rui Araujo, this event was attended by researchers from the Netherlands Debbie de Graaf, Nienke M. de Vries, Bastian R. Bloom and Joanna IntHout (Centre of Expertise for Parkinsonian and Movement Disorders), Madou Derksen and Koos Zwinderman (Amsterdam UMC). Job. .
The project was funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), Verily Life Sciences LLC and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.