|
 On Wednesday, the chip maker said it is teaming up with the Michael
J. Fox Foundation, established by the actor and Parkinson's sufferer
in 2000, to conduct a multi-phase research study of the
neurodegenerative brain disease. An estimated five million people
globally have been diagnosed with Parkinson's, the
second-most-common neurudegenerative disease after Alzheimer's.
The initial goal is to determine the feasibility of using wearable
devices to monitor patients remotely and store that data in an open
system that can be accessed by scientists.
In the next phase of the study, which will likely kick off in the
fall, the foundation will set aside funds to explore how patients
are responding to medication. Participants will be monitored via an
array of wearable devices.
"As more of these devices hit the market, we can collect objective
measurements and determine the efficacy of new therapeutics," Sohini
Chowdhury, a senior vice president for research partnerships at the
foundation, told Reuters.
Clinical trials have been far too "subjective" in the past, she
said. For instance, a patient might inform her doctor that she felt
a tremor for several minutes, when it actually lasted a matter of
seconds. In the future, Chowdhury hopes patients and their doctors
will have more precise measurements via wearable devices about the
"frequency and severity" of symptoms.
Chowdhury said the foundation will continue to raise funding to
cover the costs of providing wearable devices to patients.
By using such devices, the foundation and other research groups can
tap into a broader pool of patients for clinical trials, Chowdhury
said. Today, many people with Parkinson's disease are unable to
participate in clinical trials because they do not live near a
research facility.
But wearable devices offer a convenient way to track patients from
their work or homes, allowing people in the most rural parts of the
country to participate.
[to top of second column] |
As it expands beyond the PC arena, Intel hopes to capture a share of
the growing market for big data analytics and wearable devices in
the health sector. Ron Kasabian, general manager of Intel's Big Data
Solutions group, said the data center and "Internet of Things"
business units are exploring the sector.
"We're exploring how to pull data out of devices in real-time," he
said. "We can mine data to improve research, and better understand
the behaviors and progression of the disease."
While Intel boasts its own wearable technologies, Kasabian stressed
that the Parkinson's study is device agnostic, meaning patients can
test a variety of wearable gadgets. In March, Intel completed its
acquisition of Basis Science, a startup that is best known for its
wrist-band that measures the wearer's heart rate.
Intel expects to extend similar programs to related areas of health
care, as well as other industries, including manufacturing.
(Reporting by Christina Farr; Editing by Dan Grebler)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright
2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
