iTrem lets your iPhone monitor Parkinson’s disease

It’s time to add one more item to the never ending list of things the iPhone can do. The folks over at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have managed to develop an iPhone app that allows users to monitor Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions – by collecting data from arm and hand tremors.

The app, called iTrem, makes use of the built-in accelerometer found in the iPhone to collect data from a patient who’s at home or at the office. The data is then sent to medical personnel who know what to do with the data. Using the app, patients can monitor their conditions without having to pay costly visits to medical facilities.

Future developments will include additional Parkinson’s related tests, and possibly the ability to detect and analyze dyskinesia, a movement disorder.  iTrem is currently undergoing clinical study at Emory University and will need to receive approval from the FDA before it is put up on the Apple App Store, which is expected to happen later this year.

[Press Release]