FDA Approves Apple Watch Use for Monitoring Parkinson’s Symptoms

14 JUNE 2022 - Another sign of the phenomenal potential in wearable computing: Apple Insider says the medical startup Rune Labs has gotten FDA approval to monitor Parkinson’s symptoms with Apple Watch. Citing a Reuters report, the piece says San Francisco-based Rune Labs:

…works in brain data and neuro-based therapies. Its software platform uses motion sensors in the Apple Watch to keep tabs on symptoms such as tremors in Parkinson's patients…

The piece explains that getting info on Parkinson’s patients can be difficult. Apple Insider says “doctors will typically need to gather data about a patient's movements by observing them during a short clinical visit.” Since symptoms can vary quite a bit though, short visits aren’t thought to be the best way to get the necessary data.

Rune’s CEO indicates that the combination of Apple Watch and other tools “will give doctors a much more detailed picture of a patient's symptoms…”