WO2017037487A1

WO2017037487A1 - Method for detecting parkinson's disease in a user using data input keyboard of an electronic device

Info

Publication number: WO2017037487A1
Application number: PCT/HU2016/050040
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sándor URSZIN
Original assignee: Pi Holding Zrt.
Priority date: 2015-09-02
Filing date: 2016-09-01
Publication date: 2017-03-09
Also published as: HUP1500397A2

Abstract

The subject of the invention relates to a method for detecting Parkinson's disease in a user using the data input keyboard (12) of an electronic device (10), the essence of which is that during the method: - monitoring the user's keyboard use while entering the character series (60) selected by the user using a data input keyboard (12), - analysing the data obtained by monitoring the keyboard use by at least one statistic algorithm, and determining the probability of the user using the data input keyboard (12) having Parkinson's disease based on the result of the analysis.

Description

Method for detecting Parkinson's disease in a user using data input keyboard of an electronic device

The subject of the invention relates to a method for detecting Parkinson's disease in a user using the data input keyboard of an electronic device.

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive neurological disease that causes the destruction of those cerebral areas of the brain that work with extrapyramidal, dopaminergic neurotransmitters, and affects both the motor and non-motor functions of the patient. All over the world approximately 6.5 million Parkinson's disease patients are known of, the condition is mainly characteristic in the population over the age of 60 years, however, every tenth patient is under 50 years of age. The disease is slightly more frequent among men than women. In general the symptoms appear gradually, first affecting just the one hemisphere of the brain, then, as the disease progresses, it spreads to the other hemisphere. As a consequence of this, Parkinson's disease has an asymmetrical effect on the affected person's motor-performance with respect to the left and right sides. The symptoms may vary per individual depending on the severity and degree of progression of the disease, however, there are characteristic, classic symptom groups, which are the following:

- bradykinesia: means the slowing down of voluntary movement, starting planned movements is difficult, due to the brain's lack of dopamine the brain's impulses reach the skeletal muscles only slowly,

- tremor: mainly visible when the patient is relaxed, shaking appearing on the hands, fingers, lips, chin, lower arm and legs

- rigidity: the simultaneous increase in tone (hypertonia) of the bending and tensioning muscles, which causes rigidity, the face becomes expressionless,

- postural instability: balance disorder occurring due to the absence of the deep tendon reflexes that maintain body balance.

Currently diagnosing Parkinson's disease takes place on the basis of the characteristic symptoms listed above and by excluding other conditions producing similar symptoms. The patient's mental abilities and condition are examined, and also muscle strength, movement coordination, reflexes and sensory perception, etc. are tested. The diagnosis of the disease is very probably proven when at least two or three of the above symptoms are simultaneously present. The diagnosis is only completely certain when the symptoms become permanent.

It was recognised that the appearance of the aforementioned symptoms and their becoming permanent is only characteristic in the chronic phase of the disease, due to this the commonly used methods are not suitable for diagnosing Parkinson's disease in the initial stages. A further disadvantage of the currently used diagnostic techniques is that they are very lengthy, on many occasions are a burden on the patient, and due to the use of the imaging procedures (such as CT, MRI) used on occasion, they are also costly.

It was recognised that the deterioration of the involuntary (motor) functions involves the consequence that the brain incorrectly believes that certain movements have already been performed, and gives out the instructions relating to the voluntary movements according to this, also the involuntary movements controlled by the hemisphere in better condition are also carried out according to this.

It was recognised that all this causes very characteristic, unmistakable typing errors when using the data input keyboard of an electronic device even in the very early, latent phase of Parkinson's disease, which errors can be isolated by using one or more statistical algorithms.

The aim of the invention is to provide a method for detecting Parkinson's disease in a user using the data input keyboard of an electronic device which is free of the disadvantages of the solutions according to the state of the art, especially to simply and cheaply determine the probability of the user using the keyboard having Parkinson's disease, even in the initial stage of the disease.

The invention is based on the recognition that the probability of a user having Parkinson's disease may be determined by analysing the data obtained by monitoring the keyboard use of the user using the keyboard.

The task was solved in accordance with the above recognition with the method according to claim 1 for detecting Parkinson's disease in a user using the data input keyboard of an electronic device. - -

Certain preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

The further details of the invention are presented in connection with embodiments, with the help of drawings. In the drawing

Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of the main elements participating in the method according to the invention,

Figure 2 shows a schematic flowchart illustrating the method according to the invention.

The main IT devices participating in the method according to the invention and, from the point of view of understanding the invention, their more important components may be seen in figure 1 . The method according to the invention serves for detecting Parkinson's disease in a user using the data input keyboard 12 of an electronic device 10. A server 30 preferably participates in the method according to the invention. The electronic device 10 may connect to the server 30 through a communication channel 40. Such a communication channel 40 may be created, for example, within the framework of an electronic communication network 42, which may be a lined and/or wireless local IT network (LAN), or a global IT network, especially the Internet, a mobile telecommunications network according to the 3G or 4G standard, a GSM network, etc.

The electronic device 10 may be any user device with a keyboard 12 or that is suitable for connecting a keyboard 12, which comprises one or more processors 14, a data storage 16, a communication unit 18 and a screen 20. The electronic device 10 may be, for example, a desktop computer, laptop, notebook, tablet, smartphone, etc.

The keyboard 12 is preferably an independent hardware unit, which connects to the electronic device 10 via a cable or in a wireless fashion (e.g. by a Bluetooth connection), but in a given case an embodiment may be imagined in the case of which the keyboard 12 is integrated into the electronic device 10, and is constructed as a part of it (for example, the built-in keyboard of a laptop). The keyboard 12 may also be a virtual keyboard, for example, if the screen 20 is a touchscreen, a virtual keyboard may be displayed on it (for example in the case of a tablet or smartphone).

In the present embodiment the data storage 16 has been indicated as an - - integrated part of the electronic device 10, however, the data storage 16 may also be an external data storage device, in other words the data storage 16 means all internal and external data storage devices accessible to the electronic device 10. The data storage 16 may be an electronic, magnetic, or optical data storage device or a data storage device operating on the basis of any other principle (for example memory, memory card, hard disc, external disc, etc.).

The communication unit 18 is understood to mean the sum total of the software and hardware (for example network card, network connector, Wi-Fi adapter, antenna, etc.) with which the electronic device 10 is able to create the electronic communication channel 40 with the server 30 and perform electronic data transmission through it.

The server 30 is understood to mean an IT device performing one or more server functions (for example a computer, other dedicated hardware, etc.), which, in a given case, may perform this function as a cloud-based service. The server 30 also contains one or more processors 32, a data storage 34 and a server-side communication unit 36.

The data storage 34 may be any electronic, magnetic, or optical data storage device or a data storage device operating on the basis of any other principle. In the present embodiment the data storage 34 has been indicated as an integrated part of the server 30, however the data storage 34 may also have an external data storage device accessible by the server 30. Therefore, the data storage 34 means all internal and external data storage devices (for example ROM, RAM memory, external HSM, other external background stores, etc.) that are directly or indirectly accessible by the server 30.

The server-side communication unit 36 in this case is understood to mean the sum total of the software and hardware (for example network card, network connector, Wi-Fi adapter, antenna, etc.) with which the server 30 is able to create the electronic communication channel 40 with at least the electronic device 10 and perform electronic data transmission through it.

In the following the method according to the invention is presented with reference to the above exemplary hardware elements.

A schematic flowchart of the method according to the invention may be seen in figure 2, which is for detecting Parkinson's disease in a user using the data input - - keyboard 12 of an electronic device 10. In the first step 100 of the method the user's keyboard use using the data input keyboard 12 is continuously or periodically monitored while the character series 60 selected by the user is being entered into the electronic device 10. In a preferred embodiment, the keyboard 12 is used with two hands, in other words the user uses a finger or the fingers of both the left and right hands for entering the character series 60. The character series 60 selected by the user is understood to mean any series of characters that may be assembled by pressing the keys of the keyboard 12, in other words not a special series of characters set up for detecting Parkinson's disease. The user selects the characters of the character series 60 to be entered into the electronic device 10 as well as the method of entering the characters (length of keystroke, time between each keystroke, the keystroke rhythm, etc.) him/herself. The use of the keyboard 12 may be for carrying out work (for example, writing a documents related to work) or for a free time activity (for example writing personal e-mails), in other words the method does not require the entry of any particular, predetermined text or other series of characters.

In the case of a preferred exemplary embodiment, the layout of the keyboard 12 of the electronic device 10 is identified while monitoring the user's keyboard use, or before it or after it. This may take place, for example, with the help of the user, and/or on the basis of the information sent by the keyboard 12 to the electronic device 10 relating to the keyboard layout, as is known to a person skilled in the art. Following this by using the keyboard layout, the key depressing speed and/or the duration of the keystroke, the hand the user used to depress the key belonging to the entered character is determined. For example, it can be assumed that the user mainly depresses the characters on the right side of the keyboard 12 with his/her right hand and mainly depresses the characters on the left side with his/her left hand. This picture may be given more detail if it is statistically shown that, for example, the keystroke speed is faster with the right hand, and/or the right hand keeps the keys depressed longer. In the case of users using ten fingers, it is obvious to allocate a given key and the hand depressing it to each other.

In the case of a particularly preferred embodiment, while monitoring the user's keyboard use at least one of the following listed physical characteristics of the work performed by the two hands while typing is separately measured: average - - duration of the depression of the keys, average duration between two key strokes, the rhythm of the keystrokes, etc. In the context of the present invention rhythm means the distribution over time of the depression of the keys. While monitoring is being carried out at least one of the following physical characteristics is also preferably measured: the times between the user's left hand - left hand keystrokes, the times between the user's left hand - right hand keystrokes, the times between the user's right hand - right hand keystrokes and the times between the user's right hand - left hand keystrokes.

In the case of a preferred embodiment following step 100, or in parallel with it in a given case, the data obtained by monitoring the keyboard use are sent through the communication channel 40 to the remote server 30, which records them using the data storage 34. In the case of this embodiment step 100 of the method according to the invention is preceded by the creation of the communication channel 40 between the electronic device 10 and the server 30, through which the data may be transmitted in electronic form preferably in both directions.

From the data obtained by monitoring the keyboard use, composite indicators are produced from the various groups of the physical characteristics presented above, which are analysed in step 102 using an algorithm presented below and implemented using the processor 32. During the analysis the character series 60 entered by the user with the data input keyboard 12 is interpreted using a text recognition algorithm, and typing errors (character formulas) characteristic of Parkinson's disease are identified in the interpreted character series 60. In the context of the present invention a text recognition algorithm is understood to mean a software program that compares the elements of the character series 60 entered by the user with the elements in an internal database, and then establishes various hypotheses regarding what the examined character series may be. On the basis of the hypotheses, it examines the various word and character creation possibilities, then using statistical methods it decides what the final text is. In a given case a known text recognition algorithm may be used as the text recognition algorithm, such as ABBYY FineReader, OmniPage Standard, Readiris, etc., but, naturally, a text recognition algorithm operating in another way may be imagined, as is obvious for a person skilled in the art.

The character formulas linked to the unintentional movements developed as a consequence of Parkinson's disease are separated into three groups:

- the character formulas created with just the one hand affected by Parkinson's disease,

- the character formulas created by the use of one hand after the other, - the character formulas created by the simultaneous use of both hands

(such as typing a capital letter, the combination of SHIFT + LETTER, or the typing of special characters).

The character formulas created with the use of only the affected hand include, for example, character repetition (the unintentional entering of the same character multiple times) or the unintentional omission of individual characters. A small amount of character multiplication may be caused by, for example, the slowing down or trembling of the fingers of the affected hand. While in the first case depressing the key for a longer time than necessary results in the multiple entry of the same character, in the second case the trembling of the hand causes the same key to be depressed several times. A larger degree of character multiplication may be a result of the freezing of the fingers of the affected hand. The unintentional omission of characters may be caused by, for example, the deterioration of the dynamics of the affected hand, as at this time the strength of depressing the key is insufficient to enter the character.

In the case of a preferable embodiment, the character formula produced with the consecutive use of the two hands include, for example, character transposing, character distortion, or the case when the character intended to be entered next appears in a character series of multiple characters. Character transposition may occur when the first of two concurrent characters should be entered with the affected hand, and the second with the unaffected hand. As the affected hand reacts more slowly the order of the two characters is reversed. Therefore, in the case of character transposition the character entered with the unaffected hand unintentionally precedes the character entered by the affected hand. Character distortion occurs when a special key needs to be depressed by the one hand (e.g. Shift, Ctrl, etc.), and as a result of the slower reaction of the affected hand, the special key is not depressed. Character distortion is also influenced by whether the special key is to be depressed by the affected or unaffected hand. Such character distortion may be, for example, a lower case letter at the beginning of a - - sentence instead of an upper case letter, or entering a comma at the end of a sentence instead of a question mark. As a result of Parkinson's disease the brain mistakenly believes that the affected hand has already completed depressing the key, therefore the other, unaffected hand depresses the next key. It is at this time that the case occurs when the character intended to be entered next appears in a character series of multiple characters.

The character formula created with the simultaneous use of the two hands means character distortion occurring when the one hand needs to depress a special key (e.g. Shift, Ctrl, etc.) and due to the slower reaction of the affected hand, the special key remains depressed for a longer time than necessary. In this case character distortion is also influenced by whether the special key is to be depressed by the affected or unaffected hand.

It should be noted that the concrete forms of the character formula to be searched for in the character series 60 are determined by the country-specific keyboard layout of the data input keyboard 12 and the language.

In the case of a preferred embodiment, while analysing the data obtained from monitoring the keyboard use, simple and/or composite indicators are created from the various types of data, then their interactions with each other are examined. The indicators created from the keyboard use data are understood to mean functions that allocate one or more numbers to a physical parameter and/or physical characteristic, or to a group of these. The simple indicators contain a single physical characteristic and/or parameter, while the composite indicators contain several physical characteristics and/or parameters. In the case of a preferable embodiment one or more threshold values are allocated to the various indicators, which, with respect to a given indicator, separate the values belonging to the users in the population affected by Parkinson's disease from the values of the users in the healthy population. In the case of a concrete embodiment if the value of the indicator created from the average duration of key depression is higher than the indictor's threshold value, then on the basis of the indicator the user has a greater probability of being affected by Parkinson's disease than in the case when the value of the number associated with the indicator is lower than the threshold value. Naturally the threshold values may also vary depending on the particular indicator. In the case of an especially preferable embodiment the probability of being affected by Parkinson's - - disease is allocated to the values belonging to the individual indicators, and during the analysis the interaction between the probabilities belonging to at least two indicators are examined, for example using conditional probability, as is known to a person skilled in the art. By using the completed analysis, the probability of the user using the keyboard 12 being affected by Parkinson's disease is determined.

The remote server 30 preferably contains a user database 32 containing the profiles of the various users in which the data of the individual users can be recorded and which is preferably stored in the server's data storage 34. Such data may be, for example, the user's name, sex, age, qualifications, probability of being affected by Parkinson's disease, etc. By using the user database 32 it is possible, for example, to keep track of the development of Parkinson's disease, and of the effect of the medicines and treatments, assess the current condition of the user, or draw up medical statistics.

In the case of a preferred embodiment following step 102, or, in a given case, in step 104 parallel to it, typing errors are searched for in the character series 60 on the basis of the identified character formula, then the identified typing errors are automatically corrected. The identification of the typing errors takes place, for example, using one of the text recognition algorithms presented above.

In the case of the embodiments presented earlier, the analysis of the data and the determination of the probability of being affected by Parkinson's disease take place using the remote server 30. However, an embodiment may be imagined in which the data obtained by monitoring keyboard use are not sent to the server 30, instead the analysis is performed by the electronic device 10 itself, locally. In the case of this embodiment the data obtained during monitoring are preferably stored in the data storage 16 of the electronic device 10, then the above steps 102 and 104 of the method presented above are carried out by the algorithms running on the at least one processor 14.

The advantage of the method according to the invention is that while monitoring of keyboard use is being carried out, the user does not have to do anything in any other way than he/she is accustomed to, he/she does not have to perform any separate activities, and is not affected by any separate influence during the procedure.

It is clear that a person skilled in the art may imagine alternative solutions - - to the embodiments presented here without departing from the scope of protection determined by the attached claims.

Claims

1. Method for detecting Parkinson's disease in a user using the data input keyboard (12) of an electronic device (10), characterised by

- monitoring the user's keyboard use while entering character series (60) selected by the user using a data input keyboard (12),

- analysing the data obtained by monitoring the keyboard use by at least one statistic algorithm, and determining the probability of the user using the data input keyboard (12) having Parkinson's disease based on the result of the analysis.

2. Method according to claim 1 , characterised by that while monitoring the user's keyboard use:

- measuring separately at least one of the following listed physical characteristics of the work performed by the two hands during typing: average duration of the depression of the keys, average duration between two key strokes, the rhythm of the keystrokes,

- measuring at least one of the following listed physical parameters: the elapsed times between the user's consecutive left hand - left hand keystrokes, the elapsed times between the user's consecutive left hand - right hand keystrokes, the elapsed times between the user's consecutive right hand - right hand keystrokes and the elapsed times between the user's consecutive right hand - left hand keystrokes.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised by identifying the layout of the data input keyboard (12) of the electronic device while monitoring the user's keyboard use.

4. Method according any of claims 1 - 3, characterised by that while analysing the data obtained by monitoring the keyboard use:

- interpreting the character series (60) entered by the user with the data input keyboard (12) using a text recognition algorithm, and searching for typing errors characteristic of Parkinson's disease in the interpreted character series (60),

- and preferably examining the various types of data obtained during the monitoring of the keyboard use with a view to each other..

5. Method according to claim 4, characterised by correcting the identified typing errors automatically.

6. Method according any of claims 1 - 5, characterised by performing the analysis of the data obtained by monitoring the keyboard use and performing the determination of the probability of the user having Parkinson's disease by the user's electronic device (10).

7. Method according any of claims 1 - 5, characterised by sending the data obtained by monitoring the keyboard use to a remote server (30), and performing the analysis of the data and the determination of the probability of the user having Parkinson's disease by the remote server (30).

8. Method according to claim 7, characterised by that the remote server (30) comprises a user database (32) comprising the profiles of the various users.