Smartphone app in India helps manage Parkinson's disease

The Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, an independent research institute under India's Department of Science and Technology, has invented a smartphone and sensor-based system to support the management of Parkinson's disease.

HOW IT WORKS 

The system involves a fluorescence nanoprobe, a smartphone camera, and a mobile app. It aims to detect the concentration of L-dopa (levodopa) – a dopamine replacement agent – in biological samples. 

Parkinson's disease is marked by low levels of dopamine in an area of the brain responsible for coordinating movement. Taking the medication L-dopa, which is converted into dopamine in the brain, helps in managing the motor impairment caused by the disease. 

The fluorescence turn-on sensor probe can detect L-dopa in biofluids (such as blood plasma, sweat, and urine) within a linear range of 5-35 microns. It is made of reduced graphene oxide nanosheet coated with silk fibroin. 

A study published in Elsevier's Progress in Neurobiology journal tested this smartphone-based L-dopa detection system in a dark chamber where external light could not penetrate. 

A 365-nanometre LED connected to an electric circuit illuminated the sensor nanoprobe containing a sample biofluid. A smartphone camera was used to capture the resulting colour changes. The RGB (red, green, blue) values from the captured image were then evaluated using a mobile app to determine the L-dopa concentration in the sample biofluid.

WHY IT MATTERS

Tracking the levels of L-dopa in PD patients helps in maintaining an optimal intake of the medication, as having too much of the medication can cause serious complications such as psychosis and orthostatic hypotension while having a low amount can be ineffective for managing Parkinson's symptoms. 

"By detecting whether biological samples from the patient [have] low levels of L-dopa, the sensor could help adjust the required dosage for effective control of the disease," India's Ministry of Science & Technology said in a statement. 

The rapid L-dopa monitoring system can also be "crucial for on-spot analyte detection in remote areas lacking advanced equipment." 

PD is diagnosed in up to 43 people out of 100,000 population in India. It was recently noted that Parkinson's symptoms are developing earlier in India compared to the rest of the world, with average at-onset age between 40-62 years. 

THE LARGER TREND

A growing body of research on PD diagnosis and management across Asia-Pacific has leveraged smartphone technology. In one study, it was used to record the voices of suspected patients, which were then analysed using AI to confirm if they had the disease. Another mobile app used metronome beats to support gait retraining. 

Meanwhile last year, China approved an AI software-based system for analysing movement disorders caused by Parkinson's. Another machine learning-based software in Australia was developed to predict PD onset by analysing blood biomarkers in individuals.