The Personal KinetiGraph (PKG) is a wearable wrist recorder that helps physicians manage movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s. The device just received FDA approval, paving the way for it to be sold in the United States.
Global Kinetics, the maker of the device, states the PKG can be worn on the wrist for 6 to 10 days, and during this time it automatically collects data on the types of movements the patient is experiencing.
Further — the device has a reminder function for taking levodopa. When it’s time to take your levodopa, the PKG Data Logger vibrates and a light flashes. It keeps vibrating and flashing in intervals until you have registered that you took your medication, and the time you took your medication will be available for your physician to review. After 6 to 10 days, the patient’s neurologist can see the data, and then titrate medications appropriately.
The medication reminder function, with the ability for the physician to see when medications were taken, is a great function that should help improve compliance.
One of the toughest things when titrating a patient’s Parkinson’s meds is getting objective data on the patient’s movements. The reminder function, coupled with objective data on the patient’s movements, should help the patient’s Neurologist better manage the patient’s disease.
