Visual self-reporting for symptom communication in Parkinson's disease.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Digital Health
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) management relies on clinician assessments like the MDS-UPDRS.
• The Parkinson's Image Self (PIS) Report app was developed to supplement these assessments.
• PIS enables patients to digitally self-report PD symptoms, including pain, tremor, rigidity, and emotional states.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity and digital health utility of the PIS Report.
• To compare patient-reported outcomes from the PIS app with clinician-rated MDS-UPDRS assessments.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-eight PD participants completed baseline and 8-week follow-up assessments.
• Statistical analyses included ANOVA, correlation, chi-square tests, and Cohen's kappa.
• PIS outcomes were directly compared with corresponding MDS-UPDRS items.

Main Results:

• PIS pain scores significantly differed across MDS-UPDRS pain severity levels.
• Pain and OFF periods, as well as pain and happiness, showed significant correlations.
• Tremor reports demonstrated fair agreement with clinician ratings (κ=0.36), while rigidity showed negligible agreement (κ=0.01).

Conclusions:

• The PIS Report serves as a valuable digital tool for improving patient-clinician communication and remote monitoring of PD symptoms.
• The app effectively captures pain, OFF states, and emotional symptoms in PD patients.
• Integrating PIS with wearables and telemedicine can advance patient-centered PD care.