BrainMap: Luca Giancardo, PhD; Surrogate Neuromotor Markers at Everyone's Fingertips

Luca Giancardo, PhD; Research Fellow, Massachussets Institute of Technology

Talk title: Surrogate Neuromotor Markers at Everyone's Fingertips

Abstract: Modern digital devices and appliances are capable of monitoring the users finger interactions with sub-millisecond accuracy. However, the massive amount of high resolution temporal information that these devices can collect is currently being discarded. Functional imaging studies have demonstrated the connection between pressing buttons and motor-compromising conditions affecting the brain. What if we were able to use the information provided by our interaction with common digital devices as a surrogate neuromotor marker that can be measured multiple times a day, and with high compliance?

In this talk, we show how the daily interaction with digital devices can be used to measure neuromotor effects in various conditions such as Parkinson's disease or sleep inertia without altering the functionality of the device. This may allow for early screening and follow-up of motor-compromised neurodegenerative conditions, psychological disorders or intoxication at a negligible cost in the general population.