SBIR Phase I: Engaging the Mind and Body: Technology to Automate Physical Therapy Treatments for Patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD).

该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是最大限度地提高帕金森患者的生活质量。疾病（PD）。超过100万美国人被诊断患有帕金森病，预计到2040年这一数字将翻一番。PD是一种无法治愈的神经退行性疾病？一旦第一次帕金森震颤被检测到，超过80%的与通过自然过程产生多巴胺相关的脑细胞已经死亡。多巴胺是神经元与其他神经细胞交流时释放的一种化学物质，对基底神经节网络控制身体至关重要。年代的动作。通过让PD患者参与由物理治疗师（PTs）设计的新颖的、高度认知的运动练习，自动性可以被重新编程，利用大脑的不同区域来控制运动。最终，这种重新布线将减缓（神经保护）或可能逆转退化过程。虽然目前的技术发展主要集中在这一种疾病（PD）上，但该技术可能适用于其他姐妹疾病（如阿尔茨海默病）。s和痴呆症)甚至其他情况（创伤性脑损伤、中风、脑震荡等）。这个计算机自适应平台可能最终使研究人员能够确定一种生物标志物，可能导致治疗这种特发性疾病。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将为帕金森患者的自动物理治疗（PT）治疗提供一个原型。疾病（PD）。这个自动化的原型将作为一个虚拟教练，鼓励患者在舒适和隐私的家中进行日常活动锻炼。这种独特的自动化技术将通过结合精神和身体来帮助PD患者重新连接大脑，从而减缓PD固有的神经退行性变。系统会根据患者情况自动调整治疗方案的持续时间和难度。S的独特情况，包括目前的药物水平。目的：总结PD患者护理人员（初级保健提供者、物理治疗师、神经科医生等）基于技术的结果测量方法。此外，该技术平台将被设计用于PD患者之间的社区互动，以及促进PD患者与其医疗保健提供者之间的远程医疗通信。总体目标是开发一种pd专用电子系统，通过开发硬件/软件来测试自适应评估和自动化PT治疗系统的可行性，从而指导PT治疗。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to maximize the quality of life of patients currently suffering from Parkinson?s Disease (PD). Over 1 million Americans have been diagnosed with PD and this number is expected to double by 2040. PD is a neurodegenerative disorder without a cure ? once the first Parkinsonian tremor has been detected, over 80% of the brain cells associated with creating dopamine through natural processes have already died. Dopamine is a chemical released by neurons to communicate with other nerve cells and is essential to enable the basal ganglia network to control the body?s movements. By engaging the PD patient with novel, highly-cognitive mobility exercises designed by physical therapists (PTs), automaticity can be reprogrammed to utilize different regions of the brain to control movement. Ultimately, this rewiring will slow (neuroprotection) or possibly reverse the degenerative process. Although the current technology development will focus on this one disease (PD), the technology may be applicable to other sister diseases (e.g., Alzheimer?s and Dementia) or even other conditions (traumatic brain injury, stroke, concussions, and so on). This computer-adaptive platform may eventually enable researchers to identify a biomarker that may lead to a cure for this idiopathic condition. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will produce a prototype for an automated physical-therapy (PT) treatment for patients suffering from Parkinson?s Disease (PD). This automated prototype will act as a virtual coach encouraging patients to perform daily mobility exercises in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. This unique, automated technology will help rewire the brain of the PD patient by engaging both the mind and body which will slow the neurodegeneration inherent to PD. The system will automatically adjust the treatment protocol in terms of duration and difficulty based on the patient?s unique situation including current medication levels. Objective, technology-based outcome measures will be summarized for caregivers working with the PD patient (primary care provider, physical therapists, neurologists, and so on). In addition, this technology platform will be designed to enable community interaction among PD patients as well as facilitate tele-health communications between the PD patient and his/her healthcare provider. The overall objective is to develop a PD-specific electronic system that directs PT treatment by developing hardware/software to test the feasibility of the adaptive assessment and the automated PT treatment system.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.