SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
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| Wii Game (game sample) |
A new, large-scale Parkinson’s research study, collecting data
through mobile game mechanics, will be announced at the World Parkinson’s
Congress this week. The study, led by a team from the UBC Pacific Parkinson’s
Research Centre, uses a mobile game created by Conquer Mobile that will collect
data for research and ultimately empower improved clinical care.
VANCOUVER, BC
Conquer Mobile today announced that the company is working with
researchers from the University of British Columbia to develop a mobile game app
to collect data for a large scale Parkinson’s research study. The app, Cognitia PD,
will be announced and demonstrated at the World Parkinson’s
Congress, which takes place in Portland, Oregon, September 20-23.
The study is being led by a team from the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre
based at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
“We are inspired to create an application that incorporates
feedback from clinicians, developers and people with Parkinson’s disease to use
as a valuable research tool” explained Dr. Martin McKeown, UBC Chair in
Parkinson's Research and Director, Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre. “Using
mobile devices to perform cognitive assessments in the form of a game enables
us to collect research data on a large scale with the end goal of integrating
the information learned into clinical care.”
“We are excited to help bring this Parkinson’s project to life,”
remarked Kathy O’Donoghue, Managing Director of Conquer Mobile. “Many of us
hail from EA and the gaming industry. We are happy to be able to use our
gamification and user experience skills to improve patient care and expand
research.”
Significance to Parkinson’s Patient Care
People with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease often only see
their neurologist once or twice a year. A patient’s symptoms or response to
medication may change dramatically over the course of year but this may not be
addressed until the next scheduled visit. An app that can be used by patients
remotely will have major impact on tracking Parkinson’s symptoms between
clinical visits and will provide an integral tool to assess any cognitive or
motor changes over time. The app stems from a collaborative effort between
expert clinicians and researchers in the field of Parkinson’s disease, experts
in app design and gamification and members of the Parkinson’s community.
By encouraging
patients to play the specially designed app games between clinic visits,
researchers can collect large amounts of clinical data which will lead to a
better understanding of disease progression. The unique aspect of this app is
that in addition to obtaining a large amount of data, researchers are working
closely with clinicians in order to integrate the results into clinical care
and translate this into an overall improved patient experience.
Significance to Parkinson’s Research
The study is the first Parkinson’s research project to use game
mechanics for wide-scale data collection with the intent of creating a clinical
assessment tool. The research project uses a collection of multi-levelled games
to test cognitive function in people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease as well
as healthy control data from those without Parkinson’s.
Because it operates via
a mobile app, the game can be quickly and easily distributed to a large number
of participants across a wide geographic area. This dramatically increases the
size and scope of the study compared with a traditional research project.
Unlike a traditional study using standard assessment tools, the app games are
developed with input from people with Parkinson’s and are designed to be fun,
quick and accessible and provide performance feedback to the user
longitudinally.
About the Study
The study will be introduced and concept tested at the World
Parkinson’s Congress to gain feedback from people with Parkinson’s and their
care partners. The game will then be distributed through Parkinson’s support
groups to enable participation across North America.
The app, tracks various cognitive functions including memory and
reaction time. The app collects basic demographic data, walks the user through
a series of multi-levelled mini games and is tailored to people with
Parkinson’s disease. The games are intended to be played at the user’s
convenience and are designed for the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad, and will be
expanded to other platforms in the near future.
About World Parkinson’s Congress
The World Parkinson Congresses provide an international forum
for dialogue on the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices, and
caregiver initiatives related to Parkinson’s disease. World Parkinson’s
Congress brings together physicians, neuroscientists, a broad range of other
health professionals, care partners, and people with Parkinson’s disease for a
unique and inspiring experience. Such events are important in the effort to
expedite the and cultivate best treatment practices for this disease.
Date: September 20-23, 2016
Location: Portland, Oregon
About Conquer Mobile
Conquer Mobile is a boutique mobile development company
specializing in education technology. With deep expertise in VR, simulation and
gamification, the team creates engaging apps that make learning more
compelling. Since 2009, Conquer Mobile has been developing custom enterprise
apps for high profile clients such as Kabuni, Webtech Wireless, 1-800-GOT-JUNK,
GenomeDx, NGRAIN, McDonald’s Canada and leading software companies.
About Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre
The mission of the Pacific Parkinson Research Centre (PPRC) is
to act as a Centre of Excellence for diagnosis and management of Parkinson’s
Disease (PD) and other related disorders, as well as to conduct a strong
research program that spans preclinical, clinical and population studies. PPRC
offers input from a variety of disciplines – neurology, nursing, physiotherapy
and social work. There is also ample opportunity to participate in research
including studies in PET and MRI imaging, clinical trials and genetics.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/09/prweb13693511.htm
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