Digital technology improves treatment for Parkinson's patients

Shaking hands and legs, slowness of movement, and uncontrolled tremors are common symptoms of Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder. This disease causes brain cells to die, resulting in the loss of bodily functions.

In the Netherlands, 67,000 people suffer from some form of Parkinson's disease. Under this classification belong not only Parkinson's disease but also all forms of atypical Parkinsonism. These forms develop more rapidly and are more difficult to treat. To date, it has not been possible to stop or cure the disease. However, various treatments and medications can help alleviate the symptoms.

Innovative companies play a major role in developing new treatments and improving existing ones. Patricia van Rompuy (Koios Care) and Melvyn Roerdink (Strolll) both work for such companies and will speak at MedTech Day 2025 – NeuroConnect on November 20.

Koios Care improves quality of life

Van Rompuy is Quality and Clinical Trial Lead at Koios Care, a company that develops digital biomarkers that monitor patients' daily activities in a variety of areas. These include movement, sleep patterns, eating habits, physical activity, and the ability to socialize. The data is collected in a manner that complies with privacy regulations by a smartwatch in combination with a smartphone (both commercially available). The symptoms of Parkinson's disease that are often prominent are tremors and bradykinesia (slowness of movement). In addition, some patients suffer from dyskinesia (uncontrolled movements), which is often seen as a side effect of the medication. By monitoring activities and analyzing this data, new useful insights are generated.

Expert and patient

For Van Rompuy, contributing to innovation for Parkinson's patients is particularly special. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's seven years ago. “I worked for the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson for many years. When my assignment there ended, I came across the founders of Koios Care on LinkedIn. It was a match made in heaven. Here, I can combine my experience in clinical operations with my experience as a patient.”

She is convinced that the digital tool contributes to a better life for people with Parkinson's. “We continuously collect objective data without the patient having to do anything,” says Van Rompuy. “This is incredibly valuable because it is very difficult for patients to keep track of all the symptoms and progress of the disease themselves.” People with Parkinson's often have appointments with their neurologist every six months.

“An appointment is a snapshot in time. It is difficult to recall what happens between appointments. The only way to do that is if the patient keeps a very detailed diary. And even that is subjective.”

Koios Care goes one step further. Using AI, the company recognizes patterns in the data that people cannot see with the naked eye. “Our tool provides personal insight into the progression of the disease. The symptoms and progression of the disease vary greatly from person to person. This allows us to tailor treatment and medication to the needs of a specific patient, which is known as precision medicine,” she explains.

Presentation Koios Care

From wellness app to medical device

A group of people with Parkinson's disease is already using the Koios Care tool. Led by Van Rompuy, the company has set up a community where users can exchange information and experiences. Currently, the app supports the doctor's decision, for example, by monitoring data. In the future, the tool could contribute more to the medical process. “For example, by using the data to make decisions about administering medication, just like with an insulin pump,” she explains. But she also adds: “A medical device will never replace a doctor, but it does provide valuable additional information for the doctor.”

Van Rompuy is also convinced that the solution developed by Koios Care can contribute to the development of drugs that can slow down or cure Parkinson's disease.

Strolll focuses on movement as medicine

Roerdink, Chief Scientific Officer at Strolll, aims to enhance the quality of life for Parkinson's patients, similar to Van Rompuy, but with a focus on Augmented Reality (AR) technology. “Scientific literature shows that moderate to intensive exercise can have a slowing effect on the progression of the disease. In addition, people with Parkinson's have a higher risk of falling. This is because it becomes increasingly difficult for them to maintain their balance and correct movements quickly. That is why it is important to keep moving and do the right exercises while moving to improve walking and balance.”

Roerdink is an associate professor conducting research in the field of technology and movement at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Maastricht University. He also works one day a week at Strolll, where he puts the innovations from his research into practice. “I believe that good collaboration between thorough scientific research and the fast-paced business world is the best way to get innovation to patients quickly.”

Fun exercises, great results

Roerdink and his team develop functional movement exercises for Parkinson's patients in a game format to make exercise fun. For example, AR glasses show people moles popping up out of the ground, which they have to stamp back into the ground as quickly as possible. “This is a good exercise for moving quickly and making abrupt turns. They are doing a functional exercise, but because of the game element, they don't really notice it. People enjoy it and therefore continue to do the functional exercises,” he says.

AR is accessible

According to Roerdink, AR glasses are ideal for improving (remote) care. He emphasizes that a physical therapist is always involved in the treatment. “Strolll is a medical product that is prescribed and adjusted for every user by healthcare professionals. Exercises should not be too easy or too difficult, because then people will drop out. Partly because of this, compliance with the therapy is now high.”

Implementation in clinics

Research into the technology is at an advanced stage. Roerdink: "We looked at whether the exercises are effective and how people respond to them. We used the results to adapt the software and then implemented it in the clinical treatment program. The tool has been tested in 15 clinics with 28 different therapists and 100 people with Parkinson's disease. Patients were first treated in the clinic, after which 92% of them were able to continue independently at home. A promising score."

Digital transformation in healthcare

The final step is to get health insurers on board. “In the US, it is already very common for remote therapy to be reimbursed, but not here yet. Yet this new form of remote therapy is definitely the future, especially given the healthcare crisis we are currently experiencing,” says Roerdink. He highlights that the Dutch government is committed to transforming healthcare through digital means. “This is really necessary to ensure that everyone who needs care can continue to receive it,” he says.

In addition to developments in the field of financing, he is also working with Strolll to broaden the scope of the technology. “In discussions with physical therapists, we discovered that this form of therapy could also help with rehabilitation after a stroke or amputation.” The team has made adjustments to the exercises, accessibility, and medical certification of Strolll so that the AR glasses can be used by a wider group of neurorehabilitation patients, both in the clinic and at home.

Strolll and Koios Care are each using technology in their own way to improve the monitoring and treatment of Parkinson's patients. The most important goal for both companies is to improve the quality of life of Parkinson's patients.