Neurology company Rune labs recently announced that its software to help Parkinson's patients track symptoms through apple watch has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) This software called strivepd can automatically track tremors and other conditions and let patients report symptoms and medication. It allows the clinician to track the patient's progress and any changes in symptoms of nervous system disease.
Passive data collection means that patients do not have to try and remember these fluctuations. This is also a rich source of data on the response of patients with Parkinson's disease to various drugs.
Brian Pepin, CEO and founder of Rune labs, said in a statement: "with all the data we will collect and the patients we will contact through this license, we will ensure that the right participants participate in the trial." He pointed out that this would make the trial more effective and make the drug enter the market faster.
Strivepd uses Apple Movement disorders API. It is reported that Apple first launched the API in 2018, which allows independent researchers to obtain information about tremors and involuntary movements related to Parkinson's disease. Other companies are also using the dyskinesia API to provide similar information for patients with Parkinson's disease.
Elizabeth Eaton, a spokesman for rune labs, told the verge via e-mail that apple did not formally participate in the rune labs project, but the company updated their software to meet FDA requirements and wrote a support letter as part of Rune Labs' application to FDA. Apple has also conducted its own research on Apple watch and Parkinson's disease. In 2021, the data released by Apple researchers showed that the watch could accurately track the changes of motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease.