Barron Associates Receives Phase II SBIR Grant to Develop Device for Freezing of Gait in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that affects 1 million Americans and 10 million individuals worldwide. One of the most debilitating and impactful symptoms of PD is Freezing of Gait (FOG). FOG is a “mysterious phenomenon” with a pathophysiology that is not fully understood. FOG decreases quality of life and activity level, and leads to loss of independence and injurious falls.

External prompts, such as auditory, visual, or tactile cues, have been shown to help FOG. Barron Associates is developing an intelligent, easy-to-use, unobtrusive system to assist PD patients with freezing of gait symptoms by providing an optimal, personalized cueing strategy.