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

这个项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是最大限度地提高目前患有帕金森？S病(PD)的患者的生活质量。已有100多万美国人被诊断为帕金森氏症，预计到2040年，这一数字将翻一番。帕金森病是一种无法治愈的神经退行性疾病吗？一旦检测到第一次帕金森氏症震颤，与通过自然过程产生多巴胺相关的脑细胞中，超过80%已经死亡。多巴胺是神经元释放的一种化学物质，用于与其他神经细胞交流，对使基底节网络控制身体-S的运动至关重要。通过让帕金森病患者进行由物理治疗师(PTS)设计的新颖的、高度认知的移动性练习，自动性可以被重新编程，以利用大脑的不同区域来控制运动。最终，这种重新连接将减缓(神经保护)或可能逆转退化过程。虽然目前的技术开发将集中在这一种疾病(PD)上，但该技术可能适用于其他姐妹疾病(例如阿尔茨海默病、S和痴呆症)，甚至其他疾病(创伤性脑损伤、中风、脑震荡等)。这种计算机自适应平台最终可能使研究人员能够识别出一种可能治愈这种特发性疾病的生物标记物。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将为帕金森？S病(PD)患者生产自动化物理治疗(PT)治疗的原型。这个自动化的原型将充当一个虚拟教练，鼓励患者在舒适和隐私的家中进行日常活动练习。这项独特的自动化技术将通过让精神和身体参与进来，帮助重新连接帕金森氏症患者的大脑，这将减缓帕金森病固有的神经退化。系统会根据患者S的独特情况，包括目前的用药水平，自动调整疗程和治疗难度。客观的、基于技术的结果测量将被总结给与PD患者一起工作的护理人员(初级保健提供者、物理治疗师、神经科医生等)。此外，这一技术平台将旨在促进PD患者之间的社区互动，并促进PD患者与他/她的医疗保健提供者之间的远程健康通信。总体目标是开发一种针对PD的电子系统，通过开发硬件/软件来测试适应性评估和自动化PT治疗系统的可行性，从而指导PT治疗。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.