Method description

To evaluate the effects of my medications, I use an app on my iPhone.
I don’t have the tremor that most people (including myself) associate with Parkinson’s, but instead I have bradykinesia (slowness of movement) and rigidity with a bit of balance and gait problems, just to make it more interesting.  
I did know that tapping tests are used to evaluate Parkinson’s clinically so I looked for a tapping test on my iPhone and found “FastFingers”. The app has a window divided in two halves and I think that you are supposed to alternate the tapping between the two halves, but I only use one side. I make sure that the lower part of my palm, thumb, ring finger and little finger are resting against the table, see photo, and tap with my middle finger as fast as I can for 30 seconds. I do this with my right and my left hand a number of times throughout the day and record the results (time and number of taps).

I started collecting baseline data a number of weeks ago and actually found it more difficult than expected to capture enough data in a day to be able to find meaningful patterns. I was able to record enough data for two days, 12th and 13th March, and the results are plotted below with number of taps in 30 seconds on the y-axis and the time for the test on the x-axis. I also included a control, a.k.a. hubby 🙂

4 comments

  1. I would try using a accelerometer to measure change in movement or some non invasive way of measure inside muscles.
    /Per

    1. Thank you Per, I definitely want to try registering movement with accelerometers and have been looking for a long time for a way of analysing gait patterns, but so far I haven’t succeeded. Maybe you would know how to find the appropriate software?

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.