By handwriting will determine the disease of the brain and the central nervous system
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
In the world, a huge number of people suffer from diseases of the central nervous system and the brain. Experts try to develop not only new effective drugs that can, if not completely cure, at least slow down the development of the disease and improve the quality of life of the patient, but also diagnostic methods for early detection of the disease, as everyone knows that the disease at an early stage is easier to treat .
In the research center of the University of Cambridge, a team of specialists developed a new unique way to identify the disease.
In the department of research of artificial intelligence, scientists proposed to use as a diagnosis a special digital pen that will determine the symptoms of the early development of a disease - for diagnosis, the patient simply must write a digital pen with any text.
It is worth noting that the scientists took the already used method as a basis and perfected it. Now patients with suspicion of brain or CNS diseases are asked to undergo a certain test, in which there is a task to draw a drawing, for example a clock with figures arranged in a circle.
According to the drawing, specialists determined the position of the hand with the pen during drawing, evaluated the distortion of the lines, all this allowed to assume that there were hidden cognitive impairments. But, unfortunately, such tests have a significant disadvantage - low sensitivity and are not able to detect subtle neurologic changes, which is extremely important at the first stages of the disease development.
The specialists decided to fix the problem and took the already released Anoto Live Pen on the market, into which a special video camera was installed, setting the position of the pen and a sheet of paper. The camera shoots at a rate of 80 frames per second. Also, the pen is equipped with special software, which immediately reveals even minor signs of development of serious disorders in the brain or CNS, manifested in the very beginning. The test model of the diagnostic pen includes a special digital pen that tracks the movements of the patient's hand, monitors the smallest details of the pattern, determines the number of strokes and the time left for reflection, and how far the pattern is finished and whether there are tears or other irregularities.
At the first test, more than 2,000 tests were used, and scientists were able to pinpoint the onset of development of cognitive impairment.
But the final diagnosis in any case does the expert, but physicians have already expressed their opinion about the digital pen. Experts noted that this method of diagnosis is quite effective and accurate.
At this stage, a team of specialists completes the work on the software and creates a more simplified version of the test model, and soon neurologists from various medical centers and hospitals will be able to use the diagnostic pen.
Diagnosis of such diseases as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, at the first stages will help in a timely manner to help patients and slow the progression of the disease, thereby improving the quality of life of people with such a diagnosis in the future.
[