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Substantial Matters: Life & Science of Parkinson’s

In Substantial Matters: Life & Science of Parkinson’s, host Dan Keller, PhD, interviews Parkinson’s experts to highlight treatments and techniques that can help you live a better life now, as well as research that can bring a better tomorrow. Episodes focus topics relevant to your daily life, including new levodopa delivery methods, exercise, clinical trials, nutrition and more! Learn more about our episodes and speakers at parkinson.org/Podcast. Follow and rate us on your favorite podcast platform to be notified when there’s a new episode! Let us know what other topics you would like us to cover by visiting parkinson.org/feedback.
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  2. Meet the High School Student Who Is Changing Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis

Meet the High School Student Who Is Changing Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis

Mar 27, 2018

There is no single, definitive test for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The diagnosis is made by an expert clinician who asks questions about a person’s health and medical history and observes their movement. But an enterprising high school student is working on a system that analyzes movements of facial muscles to make an early diagnosis and track Parkinson’s progression. Erin Smith of Shawnee Mission West High School in the Kansas City, Kansas, area adapted a real-time facial expression recognition system to detect “facial masking,” a common Parkinson’s symptom caused by stiff facial muscles. Her system, called FacePrint, uses a web camera or smartphone to analyze facial movements and compare them to a database of people with and without Parkinson’s.