Parkinson’s disease has remained a source of intrigue for doctors and patients alike due to its relentlessly progressive nature and tenaciousness. But what is this disease, and how is it affected?
Parkinson’s is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. Symptoms of this disease begin with a tremor in the hands. It can also cause stiffness and slowing in movement. The cause of PD can be genetic and environmental triggers. Young adults rarely experience PD. Usually, it begins in middle or late life and the risk increases with age. Also, according to statistics, men are more affected by this disease.
One of the significant difficulties caused by this disease is that it affects the individual’s daily life as it can have a severe impact on thinking difficulty, swallowing, chewing and eating problems, resulting in sleep disorders, blood pressure changes, etc. PD can also contribute to depression and emotional damage to the patient. Since the causing factor of this disorder is unknown, there are no proven ways to prevent this disease. According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, this disease affects over ten million people worldwide. Early detection of this disease is significant as it affects the CNS of the human brain. Late detection can lead to no treatment or even loss of life of the individual.
Conventional Management of PD
A person with any of the symptoms of Parkinson’s was to be initially evaluated by a movement disorder neurologist, and the diagnosis is mail clinical. Treatment is a combination of anti-parkinson’s medications and structured neuro rehabilitation tides over the first few years. However, as the symptoms develop, the efficiency of the drug gradually diminishes and becomes unpredictable. Eventually, the patients will depend on their caregivers for routine activities.
Surgery is a recommended cohort for patients suffering from advanced PD to improve the quality of their life. However, brain surgeries are at times risky, and their effect is unprecedented. In addition, its irreversibility and lack of adjustability counter the disease’s progressive nature.
In this context, the necessity of a reversible and adjustable surgical therapy called Pacemaker surgery or Deep Brain Simulation surgery emerged. It is an esoteric therapy where an implanted device sends electrical signals to specific brain areas depending on the disease being treated and which can be programmed or modulated with time. This can aid in achieving long-term symptom control.
AI and ML in managing PD
The application of AI via ML holds great promise in certain salient aspects of brain-pacemaker surgery. The following are the areas in which it can aid:
- Patient Selection
- Surgical Targeting
- Programming optimization
With AI, there arises an option to analyze the local field potentials by the brain-pacemaker pulse generator. Then, it would automatically release a closed-loop anticipatory stimulation response as and when needed back to the brain. This helps alleviate any unpredictable manifestation of PD symptoms as far as possible. Moreover, it eradicates the need for frequent physician-dependent manual brain-pacemaker programming sessions, which were mandatory following ‘conventional’ brain-pacemaker surgery.
Remote-controlled satellite aided modulation of the brain-pacemaker straight from the physician’s desk enable the fine-tuning of the DBS device for patients sitting at far-off places in the comfort of their living rooms. They will not have to travel long distances to follow up on programming sessions.
Apart from these, Machine Learning algorithms help in the early detection of disease. For this, the models will study voice recordings, MRI scans, movement data, and handwriting patterns of the patients.
A blend of the state-of-the-art technological invention with human talents is necessary for managing PD. Therefore, a balanced, holistic approach can aid in improving the quality of life of the patients.
Source: indiaai.gov.in
