Dr. Dara Meldrum

Summary

35% of adults have balance impairment; dizziness and vertigo are prevalent in 20% and a combination of both results in a 12 fold risk of falling which is associated with high morbidity and significant mortality. Across jurisdictions of UK/Ireland, US and Australia first episode of vertigo equates to 1.8 million per year, 80% of whom will consult a medical professional and 80% of whom will have a recurrence. Dizziness and imbalance can be rehabilitated effectively with physical exercise, a specialist form of treatment known as vestibular rehabilitation, but at present access to this treatment and expert capacity is low leading to an impaired population that is under-served. Mobile and personalised health are poised to become major disruptive technologies that will change fundamentally the way health is delivered.Mobile health will solve the problems of access to care and patient education, allowing remote consultation and monitoring. Ultimately, analytics from digitally collected data will provide evidence and better outcomes for patients. It is acknowledged that health experts will develop the most successful applications. Exercise prescription has traditionally been time consuming and provides no feedback to either patient or therapist on performance, adherence and response. Pen and paper methods are the mainstay mode of delivery, but this is set to change. Our proposal aims to commercialise an unmet need in the rehabilitation space by digitally delivering a specialised, scientifically validated method of rehabilitation to patients who have dizziness, vertigo and balance problems. We have developed and tested a prototype digital health platform entitled "Verti-Genius" that is capable of providing a rehabilitation and education programme for individuals with dizziness and balance disorders via an e-tablet or Smartphone. Currently prescribed exercise programmes have been mapped to software that is interactive and measures exercise parameters that are critical to treatment success. A head mounted sensor has been incorporated that enables tracking of head movement (a crucial component of the exercises). Verti-Genius connects the home rehabilitation programme to the clinic, educates and empowers the patient, thus reducing therapist time and costs. In two clinical studies of Verti-Genius, patient and therapist usability and acceptance were high.

Funding Agency

Enterprise Ireland

Programme

Commercialisation Fund

Project Type

Development and commercialisation

Person Months

6

Summary

ALS is a progressive Neurodegenerative condition with a prognosis of between two and five years. Respiratory insufficiency is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in ALS. Respiratory muscle weakness impedes the mechanics of the respiratory system; lung volumes are reduced and ventilation perfusion mismatching occurs. The purpose of this study is to compare real world experience to current measurements of ventilatory function by evaluating (1) the impact of declining respiratory function on secretion management and (2) the frequency and impact of respiratory tract infection.

Funding Agency

Research Motor Neuron

Project Type

Longitudinal Study