Existing research indicates that the accuracy of a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis hovers between 55% and 78% in the first five years of assessment. That’s partly because Parkinson’s sibling movement disorders share similarities, sometimes making a definitive diagnosis initially difficult.
Although Parkinson’s disease is a well-recognized illness, the term can refer to a variety of conditions, ranging from idiopathic Parkinson’s, the most common type, to other movement disorders like multiple system atrophy Parkinsonian variant and progressive supranuclear palsy. Each shares motor and nonmotor features, like changes in gait — but possess a distinct pathology and prognosis.
Roughly one in four patients, or even one in two patients, is misdiagnosed.
Now, researchers at the University of Florida and the UF Health Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases have developed a new kind of software that will help clinicians differentially diagnose Parkinson’s disease and related conditions, reducing diagnostic time and increasing precision beyond 96%. The study was published recently in JAMA Neurology and was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
“In many cases, MRI manufacturers don’t communicate with each other due to marketplace competition,” said David Vaillancourt, Ph.D., chair and a professor in the UF Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology. “They all have their own software and their own sequences. Here, we’ve developed novel software that works across all of them.”
Although there is no substitute for the human element of diagnosis, even the most experienced physicians who specialize in movement disorder diagnoses can benefit from a tool to increase diagnostic efficacy between different disorders, Vaillancourt said.
The software, Automated Imaging Differentiation for Parkinsonism, or AIDP, is an automated MRI processing and machine learning software that features a noninvasive biomarker technique. Using diffusion-weighted MRI, which measures how water molecules diffuse in the brain, the team can identify where neurodegeneration is occurring. Then, the machine learning algorithm, rigorously tested against in-person clinic diagnoses, analyzes the brain scan and provides the clinician with the results, indicating one of the different types of Parkinson’s.
The study was conducted across 21 sites, 19 of them in the United States and two in Canada.
“This is an instance where the innovation between technology and artificial intelligence has been proven to enhance diagnostic precision, allowing us the opportunity to further improve treatment for patients with Parkinson’s disease,” said Michael Okun, M.D., medical adviser to the Parkinson’s Foundation and director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health. “We look forward to seeing how this innovation can further impact the Parkinson’s community and advance our shared goal of better outcomes for all.”
The team’s next step is obtaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“This effort truly highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration,” said Angelos Barmpoutis, Ph.D., a professor at the Digital Worlds Institute at UF. “Thanks to the combined medical expertise, scientific expertise and technological expertise, we were able to accomplish a goal that will change the lives of countless individuals.”
Vaillancourt and Barmpoutis are partial owners of a company called Neuropacs whose goal is to bring this software forward, improving both patient care and clinical trials where it might be used.
Journal
JAMA Neurology
Method of Research
Imaging analysis
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Automated Imaging Differentiation for Parkinsonism
Article Publication Date
17-Mar-2025
COI Statement
Dr Vaillancourt reported receiving nonfinancial support from Automated Imaging Diagnostics, grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), nonfinancial support from Department of Defense, personal fees from Neuroimaging Solutions making MRI-compatible sensors outside the submitted work, and having a patent (11439341) licensed. Dr Barmpoutis reported receiving grants from the NIH and being cofounder and shareholder of Neuropacs Corp outside the submitted work. Dr Wu reported receiving grants from NIH during the conduct of the study. Dr Molho reported receiving grants from Parkinson Study Group paid to Albany Medical Center during the conduct of the study. Dr Morgan reported receiving grants from University of Florida, Cerevance, Cerevel, Intracellular Therapeutics, UCB, Neuraly, and Georgia Memory Net program and consultant/speaker fees from Amneal, Eli Lilly, Eisai, and Kyowa Kirin outside the submitted work. Dr Simon reported serving as an unpaid advisor for Neuropacs and Bial; receiving consultant fees from Fortis Medical Devices, and Mission Therapeutics, and advisory board fees/grants from Weston Brain Institute. Dr Rosenthal reported receiving grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Pfizer, EIP Pharma, Functional Neuromdulation, and Biohaven Pharmaceuticals; personal fees and nonfinancial support from Biohaven Pharmaceuticals; and personal fees from UCB Pharmaceuticals, Bial Pharmaceuticals, Reata Pharmaceuticals, and Biogen Pharmaceuticals outside the submitted work. Dr Gomperts reported receiving grants from NIH; personal fees from Acadia, CervoMed, Clearview, Guidepoint Global, WaveBreak, and REACH Market Research and nonfinancial support from Hillhurst outside the submitted work. Dr Grimes reported receiving grants from NIH during the conduct of the study. Dr De Jesus reported receiving grants from Penn State during the conduct of the study. Dr Stover reported receiving grants from University of South Florida during the conduct of the study and working at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, from which she receives salary compensation for clinical treatment to patients as well as doing clinical trials. Dr Bayram reported receiving grants from NIH during the conduct of the study. Dr Kanel reported receiving grants from NIH during the conduct of the study. Dr Bohnen reported receiving grants from NIH, VA, Parkinson’s Foundation, and Farmer Family Foundation and serving as owner of Tulip M3D, an academic start-up, outside the submitted work. Dr Tuite reported receiving grants from University of Minnesota during the conduct of the study. Dr Aradi reported receiving grants from University of Florida, Sage Therapeutics, Hoffmann-La Roche, Prilenia Therapeutics, Huntington Study Group, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals outside the submitted work. Dr Strafella reported receiving grants from University of Florida, Subaward from NIH grant to University of Florida during the conduct of the study. Dr Siddiqui reported receiving grants from University of Florida during the conduct of the study. Dr Davis reported receiving grants from NIH. Dr Huang reported receiving grants from NIH during the conduct of the study. Dr Ostrem reported receiving grants from University of California at San Francisco, Neuroderm, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Merz, Amneal, Clearpoint, AbbVie, Supernus, Acadia, Parkinsons Foundation and committee member/chair fees from Aspen Neuroscience and Acura X outside the submitted work. Dr Du reported receiving grants from University of Florida during the conduct of the study and having a patent for MRI T1W and T2W combined features for detecting neurodegeneration issued. Dr Fernandez reported receiving grants from Parkinson’s Foundation, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Biogen, and Roche; personal fees from Parkinson Study Group, Neurocrine, AbbVie, and Amneal; and serving as editor in chief receiving a stipend from Elsevier outside the submitted work. Dr Litvan reported receiving grants from Michael J. Fox Foundation, Parkinson’s Foundation, Lewy Body Association, CurePSP, Roche, AbbVie, Lundbeck, EIP-Pharma, Alterity, Novartis, and UCB outside the submitted work. Dr Hauser reported serving on the steering committee for NIH and receiving grants from Global Kinetics, Kyowa, Neuroderm Ltd, Pharma2B, Vivify Biotech, AbbVie, Sage Therapeutics, Ovid Therapeutics, Amneal, Agex Therapeutics, Avanex, BlueRock Therapeutics, MDCE Suzhou, MedRhythms, PD Neurotechnology, RegenXBio, Tremor Research Support Group, Tris Pharma, UCB, Cerevel, Acorda Therapeutics, Jazz Therapeutics, Neurocrine Biosciences, Inhikibase, Supernu, Scion Neurostim, Sunovian, Tolmar, Revance, Merz, Canfield Scientific, Biogen, Forsee Pharmaceuticals, KeifeRx, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Intrance, Zambon, Truebinding, Serina Therapeutics, Nano PharmaSolutions, HanAll BioPharma, AEON Biopharma Inc, Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Annovis Bio Inc, Bukwang Pharmaceuticals, Cavion, Cerevance Beta Inc, Enterin, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd, Genentech Inc, MJFF, Neuraly, Sage Therapeutics, Sanofi US Services Inc, UCB Biopharma SRL, National Parkinson Foundation, and Michael J. Fox Foundation outside the submitted work. Dr McFarland reported receiving travels support from NIH during the conduct of the study. Dr Okun reported receiving grants from NIH, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Parkinson’s Foundation, the Parkinson Alliance, the Smallwood Foundation, UF Foundation and Tourette Association of America; serving as medical advisor the Parkinson’s Foundation and multiple principal investigator of the NIH Training Grant; receiving royalties for publications with Hachette Book Group, Demos, Manson, Amazon, Smashwords, Books4Patients, Perseus, Robert Rose, Oxford and Cambridge (movement disorders books); serving as associate editor for New England Journal of Medicine Journal Watch Neurology and JAMA Neurology; participating in CME and educational activities (past 12-24 months) on movement disorders sponsored by WebMD/Medscape, RMEI Medical Education, American Academy of Neurology, Movement Disorders Society, Mediflix, and by Vanderbilt University. The institution and not Dr. Okun receives grants from industry. Research projects at the University of Florida receive device and drug donations. No other disclosures were reported.