New app could harvest data from up to 20,000 iPhones

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Author: AdminPublished: 8 April 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

A study of ‘symptom variation’ in Parkinson’s will use newly available open software from Apple to gather data “more frequently and more accurately” from potentially thousands of participants – via their iPhones.

Parkinson ‘mPower’ is a patient-centred study sponsored by Sage Bionetworks, a nonprofit biomedical research organisation, using a Parkinson’s specific app developed in partnership with experts at two UK universities.

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Regular exercise is a common therapeutic strategy for people with Parkinson’s. Now, a study from New Zealand has suggested that daily physical activity might even delay the onset of this condition. Published in ‘The Physiological Society’, the study focused on a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) – which has previously been shown to boost cognitive performance. The researchers assessed the impact of fasting and physical activity on BDNF production in 12 people aged 18 to 56. The tests involved fasting and completing exercises of varying intensity, such as cycling for six minutes, as well as combinations of both fasting and physical activity. The results showed that brief, intense exercise was the best option for increasing the production of BDNF – with the protein increasing by a factor of four to five times compared to light exercise or fasting. Because BDNF can protect the brain from cognitive decline, the findings could…

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New app could harvest data from up to 20,000 iPhones

News

Author: AdminPublished: 8 April 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

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“It’s so rewarding to help people improve their communication”

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Does Bill Clinton have Parkinson’s disease?

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May May Ali: “My father was misdiagnosed for years”

Study finds just six minutes of daily exercise might delay onset of Parkinson’s disease

Machine learning may help predict risk of freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease

Long-term exposure to air pollution could impact Parkinson’s disease mortality risk

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New app could harvest data from up to 20,000 iPhones

News

Author: AdminPublished: 8 April 2015

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

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Related articles

Interviews

“It’s so rewarding to help people improve their communication”

Perspectives

Does Bill Clinton have Parkinson’s disease?

Interviews

May May Ali: “My father was misdiagnosed for years”

Study finds just six minutes of daily exercise might delay onset of Parkinson’s disease

Machine learning may help predict risk of freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease

Long-term exposure to air pollution could impact Parkinson’s disease mortality risk

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