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Could a Digital Pen Change How We Diagnose Brain Function?
An anonymous reader writes: By using custom tracking software to monitor the output from a digital pen, MIT researchers say they have found a way to better predict the onset of brain conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. according to MIT: "For several decades, doctors have screened for conditions including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's with the CDT, which asks subjects to draw an analog clock-face showing a specified time, and to copy a pre-drawn clock. But the test has limitations, because its benchmarks rely on doctors' subjective judgments, such as determining whether a clock circle has 'only minor distortion.' CSAIL researchers were particularly struck by the fact that CDT analysis was typically based on the person's final drawing rather than on the process as a whole. Enter the Anoto Live Pen, a digitizing ballpoint pen that measures its position on the paper upwards of 80 times a second, using a camera built into the pen. The pen provides data that are far more precise than can be measured on an ordinary drawing, and captures timing information that allows the system to analyze each and every one of a subject's movements and hesitations."
...there is some sort of diagnostic machine attached to it and it can actually extract some sort of medical info from the brain. I'm not a doctor though.
But what if I'm terrified of making a mistake? If I work slowly and haltingly then either I have a brain condition or I lack confidence.......but either way I'm a loser and no one will ever talk to me again!! Holy shit I'm fucking screwed!!!!
I have to objections to the bod statements from the summary and TFA.
Firstly the subjective judgment of the pictures of clocks etc made by patients is indeed subjective if done by a human. So far so good. But then I know from my own painful experience that my drawing skills have been showing Parkinson in grand school already. My drawings and those of other kids in the class showed a massive difference similar to that in TFA. It changed drastically after I attended technical drawing course (then technical drawing was done by hand!). I see almost the same with my oldest kid. So judging on pictures made by patients is good but comparing those to whatever external norm has to be calibrated for the person. This problem seems to be addressed more easily by humans than machines. It may change if the comparison is done over time to own pictures of the same object I guess.
The second objection is formal - if we either way judge on the quality of picture made by a patient then the actual diagnostic method does not change only the tool used does thus making it big flat 'NO' as an asnwer.
Maybe I see it wrong but the answer to the question in summary and TFA is NO even if new method is diagnostically better than the old one (which it may or not be). Good to know tho - if I see that my drawings go back to old times I will know problems ahead. If this is early stage I will still be able to do the right thing then if so I wish.
Wait.
NO!
Did I get it right?
Isn't that technology for terrorists and luddites? Writing on non-monitor surfaces ought to be banned. We need to send everything to Microsoft ; arguably we can put in a system with that high tech pen which denies inking before proprer Internet connection and authentication are established, and then the camera can film what's written. So that's good, but the pen may leave a series of words that can then be read unsupervised. So I'm on the fence whether this should be allowed or not, probably some form of paper management should exist and/or just put those that can access the paper under "closer surveillance".
While I would not draw a clock as per the example image, I've always been *crappy beyond belief* at drawing circles, you name it. Hell, my hand writing makes chicken scratch look like fine art.
For the circle, I'd get the numbers in the approximate correct place, you know, put 9 and 3 and 12 and 6 in first -- but, I can imagine people that never really drew much, perhaps not even thinking about that ahead of time.
So yeah, my circle might be as misshapen as the one in the example article. And, someone that is poor at makin' a circle as me, but has also never thought of the clock-draw, pre-set your numbers concept -- may do just as the example did.
My point is that the pen is an excellent idea, but the doctor's subjective opinion is a detractor AND an benefit. The pen will get rid of both sides of the equation. I'm not sure how accurate it will be, and it may be more of a 'this is a cool product!" that isn't wanted or needed.
(I'm willing to bet that if you ask many doctors, they'll say "My educated, well informed opinion on test outcome is a benefit, not a detractor!")
nice
Evolutiadan Echipamente zootehnice si produse ferma
Tourettes syndrome
is it cheaper (cause, ya know, healthcare cost money)
does it help the patient ?
does it help the doctor make a decision about what to do ?
no
no
no
just hyped tech