Czech scientists invent system to diagnose Parkinson's disease

ČTK |  

17 SEPTEMBER 2015

Brno, Sept 16 (CTK) - Czech researchers from the laboratory of brain diseases analysis of the University of Technology in Brno have developed a computer system to diagnose Parkinson's disease with more than 90-percent certainty, laboratory head Jiri Mekyska told reporters yesterday.

The system is also able to detect the phase of the disease from the very beginning to its severe form on the basis of the analysis of the patients' writing and speech.

The researchers have tested the system for six years on about 100 patients with Parkinson's disease, in cooperation with the St Anne Teaching Hospital in Brno.

Now all doctors who are interested in it can start using the system.

The system is monitoring how the patient is speaking, writing and drawing, in particular the articulation, as well as quickness, strength and possible shaking.

It provides results in figures on the basis of which doctors can determine whether the patient is healthy or suffers from Parkinson's disease and possibly its phase.

The new invention will save time and money, Mekyska said.

"Above all the possibility to estimate the stage of Parkinson's disease is very important now. Though the disease is incurable, doctors have various methods to attenuate its symptoms and slow down its course," Mekyska said.

On top of that, the six-year research has revealed how to improve the patients' speech.

The patients suffering from Parkinson's disease can be treated by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, which uses magnetic pulses instead of electricity to activate parts of the brain.

The latest research has proved on which part of the brain the method should focus to minimise speech problems, Mekyska added.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system mainly affecting the motor system. The most obvious symptoms include shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait.

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