Bringing data-driven management for Parkinson’s disease to Germany
The DGN-Kongress in Berlin was the venue for this year’s annual meeting of the German Neurological Society from November 8 to 11, 2023. Launching its presence in Germany, Adamant Health participated for the first time as an advanced technology provider with a booth to promote our concept for accurate and detailed symptom measurement.
The conference drew representatives from a wide range of medical disciplines, including experts on multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s diseases and epilepsy. The congress’s scientific program featured sessions covering research studies and results, while also providing neurologists with further education and training.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is currently the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease in the world. Therefore, the participants at the congress were eager to learn more about improving diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
During the sessions, it was evident that oral medications are the prevailing methods in Germany for treating PD, while deep brain stimulation (DBS) and infusion pumps are not as common. A predominant concern was to find better ways to ensure the prescribed medication is working.
Making more informed treatment decisions
At our booth, Chief Scientist Saara Rissanen presented Adamant Health’s state-of-the-art technology and service for evaluating PD. Our research-based data-analysis technology combines surface electromyography (EMG) with kinematic data, enabling the detailed measurement of visible and invisible motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
“EMG brings accuracy and clarity to the measurement of movement disorder symptoms and provides clinically meaningful and actionable data. This is what makes Adamant Health’s offering unique,” she says.
The combination of surface EMG and kinematic measurement, known as the third-generation approach, measures both neuromuscular activity and motion. It reveals the connection between the brain and motions and enables the cross-validation of the detected motor symptoms. This approach provides more objectivity compared to solutions using motion sensors alone.
The technology can easily be used to complement the subjective evaluation using rating scales, such as the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), which is the industry’s current gold standard. Together, they enable neurologists and general practitioners to make better-informed treatment decisions.
Based on wearable surface EMG and 3D accelerometry, our technology adds clinically meaningful data to existing evaluation methods.
The future of managing PD is with accurate data
Conference participants were interested in learning more about Adamant Health’s technology and how the objective measurement of motor symptoms can improve the treatment of PD patients.
Most visitors were familiar with EMG but did not have experience in using it to help measure movement disorder symptoms. The EMG signal quantifies the neurophysiological basis of the motor symptoms. The role of the EMG signal is to improve the detection and evaluation of such symptoms that are difficult to objectively quantify with motion measurements only.
One booth visitor from a leading PD clinic exclaimed, “This is exactly what I was missing – combining EMG and kinematic data. This is the future!”
During the congress, we received positive feedback on the value of our symptom reports that we provide from the collected data. Clinicians felt it would be advantageous to monitor patients in a more organized manner, and especially in the comfort of their home.
In all, there is a definite need for more accurate and objective measurement of symptoms.
Our service is now available for testing in Germany
Currently, Adamant Health’s service is being tested in two clinics in Germany. Results to date have been highly encouraging. Feedback from clinicians, nurses and patients confirms they would recommend Adamant Health’s approach. The symptom report has been considered very helpful in validating the subjective observation of a patient’s symptoms and support medication adjustment, when needed.
Our symptom report provides an accurate insight into the patients’ condition and a clear picture of their symptoms over a longer period of time. This enables personalized treatment that can be continuously optimized.
Revolutionizing Parkinson’s disease care
We are proud of our pioneering work and are looking for early adopters to partner with us in advancing the care of patients with Parkinson’s disease through objective symptom measurement. If you are interested in testing our game-changing technology, please reach out:
Together, we can make a positive difference in how PD is treated in the future.
Download our white paper to learn more about the role of EMG and kinematic measurements for objective symptom evaluation.
