[CarolynS]

The Michael J. Fox Foundation and The Kinetics Foundation Collaborate on Search for Parkinson’s Biomarker

By The Associated Press, Posted: 10/19/11 01:06 pm

Study aims to measure impact of computer-based device as accurate, objective assessment tool

“The primary goal of PPMI is to identify biomarkers that track Parkinson’s disease progression,” said Ken Marek, M.D., PPMI’s principal investigator, and the president and senior scientist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders in New Haven, Connecticut. “Currently, PPMI study subjects are undergoing tests focused on clinical symptoms, brain imaging and biological samples. The OPDM device will now provide an additional strategy to measure motor function and may be a simple and efficient way to measure PD progression that can be used at home rather than in the clinic.”

Today, the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale is considered the gold standard for measuring PD progression. But because it relies on subjective clinical opinion, it is not truly quantitative. The OPDM device tests dexterity through finger-tapping and peg transfer exercises that gauge speed and reaction time. By doing so, it is designed to objectively and more accurately measure PD severity by detecting changes in motor function. This could shorten the time needed to perform assessments in clinical trials, reducing costs.