Commons Sense Health: A quarter-sized breakthrough in Parkinson’s care

By Dr. Gifford-Jones and Diana Gifford-Jones on May 10, 2025.

Parkinson’s disease is a thief. It creeps in quietly, often misdiagnosed or unnoticed, and steadily robs its victims of motor control, independence, and quality of life. It is the fastest-growing neurological condition on the planet, affecting more than 10 million people worldwide. But there’s a remarkable bit of hope, the size of a quarter, coming out of what’s called “frugal biomedical innovation” at Western University.

There’s a sobering reality about Parkinson’s. In North America, we at least have the advantage of access to care. Yet even here, diagnosis often comes far too late. The first signs – shaking hands, stiffness, slowness of movement – are often chalked up to “just getting older.” Family members may notice something, but they don’t connect the dots. By the time a formal diagnosis is made, precious time has been lost.

Take the same scenario in a country like Nigeria, where access to neurologists and specialized care is scarce. There, Parkinson’s is not only underdiagnosed, it’s barely tracked. People suffer in silence, with limited support, and little hope for a meaningful intervention.

Enter Professor Ana Luisa Trejos, a mechanical engineer at Western University, and one of the stars of the recent Frugal Biomedical Innovations Symposium. Her team is developing something extraordinary: a low-cost wearable device, designed to detect and monitor Parkinson’s symptoms using sensors no larger than a 25-cent coin. Students are making a difference too. Olusoji Ogunbode, in Western’s Engineering Health Equity training program, is undertaking a field research placement in Africa to gather data.

This tiny piece of technology could have an outsized impact. Worn on the body, the device tracks motor symptoms-like tremors and changes in movement patterns – in real time. The data can help clinicians catch Parkinson’s earlier, monitor progression, and even adjust treatment as the disease evolves. And because the sensors are affordable and easy to produce, they hold promise for widespread use, even in places where medical technology rarely reaches.

Perhaps most importantly, this research isn’t happening in a vacuum. Dr. Trejos and her colleagues at Western are working closely with Kwara State University in Nigeria. It’s a refreshing and encouraging example of global collaboration, where the needs of underserved populations are driving innovation that could eventually benefit everyone.

Innovation designed for the developing world has had global impact before. In the early 2000s, the World Health Organization helped bring rapid diagnostic tests for malaria to rural parts of Africa – tiny, cheap, easy-to-use kits that could identify malaria in minutes without a lab. At the time, many in the West viewed them as tools only for developing nations. But those same tests are now used in North America and Europe, not just for travel medicine but in emergency settings where quick answers save lives.

Necessity breeds not only invention, but smarter invention – simpler, more efficient, and more accessible.

Dr. Trejos’s work is a case in point. There’s more work to do before these devices go to market, but soon enough they may be found not just in Nigeria, but in North American medical clinics, long-term care homes, and even tucked discreetly into Grandpa’s clothing. Early detection makes all the difference, especially with Parkinson’s, where symptoms worsen and treatment options become more limited the longer one waits.

“Frugal innovations” are not second-tier solutions. As Dr. Trejos’s research shows, affordability and accessibility do not come at the expense of quality – they may be the key to unlocking it.

In an age where medical devices can cost thousands and even millions, it’s heartening to see that sometimes, the biggest impact can come from something no bigger than a coin and not much more expensive either.

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