Columbia Technology Ventures

Digitized analysis and scoring of spiral drawing test

This technology uses a digitized tablet to automate recording and analysis of hand drawn spirals.

Unmet Need: Automated and unbiased analysis of spiral drawing test

Drawing a spiral involves complex motor activity and control of the arm. The resulting kinematic features of a drawn spiral can shed light on the physiologic basis of normal and abnormal upper limb motor function, and be used to evaluate neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and tremors. Spiral Analysis has been used clinically for over a decade and has been validated in clinical studies of motor control and motor learning. However, current methods require medical professionals to score the results manually, which can introduce bias and inaccuracy, thereby preventing large-scale comparison of data due to the non-standardized nature of collection.

The Technology: Digitized spiral analysis for the evaluation and diagnosis of motor dysfunction

This technology applies a digitizing tablet to automatically record and analyze the kinematic features of hand drawn spirals, capturing x and y position over time, in addition to measuring the writing pressure. The resulting spiral is graphically displayed, and the software automatically quantifies features such as shape, drawing speed, tightness of loops, irregularity, hand tremors and tremor axes as well as performs an overall evaluation of how well a spiral is drawn. The software generates a standardized score for the patient’s motor control ability which can be easily compared against other subjects. This technology has applications in the diagnosis of and the evaluation of therapeutic intervention for neurological disorders - Parkinson’s disease, tremors, dystonia, ataxia and spasticity. The technology also has applications in evaluating psychomotor development, as well as potential non-clinical applications in motor skill games and evaluating sobriety.

This technology has been validated in patients with Parkinson’s, dystonia, and essential tremor related disorders.

Applications:

  • Diagnosis and delineation of neurological disorders (Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, tremors, dystonia, ataxia)
  • Monitoring clinical progression of neurological disorders
  • Development of motor biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease
  • Evaluation of therapeutic treatments for neurological disorders
  • Evaluation of deep brain stimulation surgery outcomes
  • Quantifying the effects of tremor suppression therapy
  • Assessment of rehabilitation following upper limb injury, stroke and traumatic brain injury
  • Assessment of psychomotor development in children
  • Assessment of efficacy of anti-anxiety therapies
  • Evaluation of sobriety
  • Skill-based key for ignition release
  • Motor skill games

Advantages:

  • Cost-effective
  • Portable
  • Easy to administer
  • Non-invasive
  • Automated and unbiased analysis algorithm
  • Evaluation of multiple movement parameters
  • Provides a graphical display of resulting data
  • Can be administered to a large number of subjects
  • Standardized to allow large-scale comparison

Lead Inventor:

Seth Pullman, M.D., F.R.C.P.C.

Related Publications:

Tech Ventures Reference: