A keyboard to detect the first signs of Parkinson’s

A group of researchers from MIT have just created an algorithm capable of detecting micro fluctuations in the way a person types on a keyboard. This first step could pave the way to getting an earlier diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

The way in which a person presses on a keyboard's keys says a lot about their physical capabilities and state of fatigue. Based on this observation, a team of American and Spanish scientists have developed an algorithm that monitors keyboard touches.

To start off, the researchers observed 20 participants typing on a computer. One part of the group was put to task during the day, fully awake, while the other group had to accomplish the same at night, deprived of sleep. What they noticed was that fatigue changes the way you type, reaction time becoming slightly longer.

Their conclusions, published in the scientific journal Nature, suggest that this algorithm, which focuses on the length of time a key is pressed, could be able to detect warning signs of Parkinson's disease.

This chronic neurodegenerative condition develops 5 to 10 years before the first symptoms appear. These manifest themselves primarily in slowed movement, tremors, rigid muscles and impaired posture and balance.