Parkinson’s Disease Monitor System (Parkinson Measurement Device)

With the Parkinson’s Disease Monitor System (Parkinson Measurement Device), patients can now be monitored at home. In this method, which is preferred especially in middle and advanced stage patients, information such as the patient’s clinical condition, side effects of the drug, and frequency of tremors are recorded and the treatment can be planned accordingly, thanks to a bracelet attached to the patient’s arm or ankle, or sometimes a device worn around the waist such as a belt.

What kind of complaints occur in Parkinson’s?

Parkinson’s is a long-term chronic disease. After a certain period of time, it becomes very difficult to monitor the disease in people who are on medication or even have had surgery because they need to come for frequent check-ups. In addition, the Parkinson’s medications used may have some side effects. For example, when the duration of action of the drug shortens, the patient cannot move. This is called “end-of-dose worsening”. Or, involuntary movements may occur in the patient’s arms and legs due to drug-related side effects. This condition is called “dyskinesia”. Or, near the end of the medication, painful contractions in the arms and legs, freezing, and deterioration in the patient’s gait may occur.

When does the Parkinson’s meter come into play?

Since the physician can only see the patient for half an hour at most during the examination of Parkinson’s disease, there is no chance to observe these symptoms. Sometimes patients cannot describe their complaints very well. Information about the drug, such as how long it takes for these complications to appear after taking the drug, is also very important for the physician. It is very difficult to monitor patients at home in terms of these factors. The patient needs to be monitored in order to follow the positive or negative effects of the drug on the patient. This can be done with a Parkinson’s measuring device. This non-invasive measurement device can be compared to a bracelet worn on the arms and feet or a belt worn around the waist. Thanks to this new method, 5-10 days of the patient can be recorded.

Can this measuring device be applied to every patient?

This is a method that does not need to be applied to every Parkinson’s patient. It is mostly preferred for middle and advanced stage patients who have difficulty in arranging their treatment. For example, the condition of people who live outside the city and have difficulty coming and going to the hospital can be monitored and their treatment planned with this method. The records saved on the device are directly transmitted to the physician through the online system and analyzed. Device; It can record the daily clinical condition of the patient, the side effects of the drug, the frequency of tremors, the disorder in movements and at what time of the day they increase. This is called the “Parkinson Disease Monitor System”. Although it is very new all over the world, Türkiye is one of the first countries where the device is available.