MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Kinetics Corporation, a leading mobile health technologies company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the marketing of the company's Personal KinetiGraph™ (PKG™) technology designed to improve the assessment and monitoring of symptoms of Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders that affect movement. The Personal KinetiGraph is the first wrist-worn device approved in the U.S. that offers comprehensive, automated reporting of a Parkinson's patient's movements so that neurologists and other physicians can more easily identify changes in movement symptoms to assist in decisions to optimise therapy.
"Monitoring changes in a patient's movement symptoms is a critical element in the treatment of Parkinson's and many other movement disorders, but it can be difficult for both patients and healthcare providers to identify and assess changes in movement symptoms effectively," said Andrew Maxwell, managing director and CEO of Global Kinetics Corporation. "The Personal KinetiGraph provides clinicians with a clear and accurate assessment of the patient experience outside of office visits and examinations."
The Personal KinetiGraph is a wrist-worn device that automatically records motion data over a period of up to ten days. The physician then receives detailed information about the patient's mobility within minutes, identifying changes and trends that can be important considerations in the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease. The device can also alert patients when it is time to take medication as prescribed and track when medication is taken to help improve treatment compliance.
Treating Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders can be challenging as symptoms can vary from person to person and throughout the course of a day. Currently most physicians rely on clinical evaluation, a patient's self-reporting of symptoms and response to medication to guide therapy. The Personal KinetiGraph was developed by neurologists at the Melbourne-based Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in response to this lack of objective measurement tools for movement disorders symptoms.
"In many cases when we discuss changes in movement symptoms with Parkinson's patients, they are unable to recall specific information that can help doctors understand whether their disease is progressing and, if so, how rapidly," said Malcolm Horne, PhD, chief scientific officer and co-founder of Global Kinetics Corporation who developed the technology with Dr. Robert Griffiths at the Florey Institute. "This technology brings clinicians a whole new level of accurate information to support more effective and timely treatment decisions."
About Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive movement disorder that affects the lives of as many as one million patients in the United States. The main motor (or movement) related symptoms of Parkinson's disease are bradykinesia (slowness of movement), rigidity, tremors and postural instability. Other non-movement symptoms include speech and swallowing difficulties, cognitive impairment, depression or other emotional changes. As the disease progresses, symptoms may interfere with daily activities. Parkinson's disease can be difficult to diagnose and currently there is no cure. However, a variety of medications and surgery can help ease the symptoms for some patients.
About Global Kinetics Corporation
Global Kinetics Corporation is committed to improving the lives of those with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders with advanced medical technologies. The company was formed in 2007 to commercialize its lead product, the Personal KinetiGraph™ (PKG™). Developed by neurologists at the world-renowned Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health in Melbourne, Australia, the Personal KinetiGraph enables the precise monitoring, quantification and reporting of movement symptoms of neurological diseases. Global Kinetics Corporation, a privately held company, is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. For more information visit: www.globalkineticscorporation.com.au.
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SOURCE Global Kinetics Corporation