Apple Announces New ResearchKit Studies for Autism, Epilepsy and Melanoma

Apple® today announced that ResearchKit™ is enabling new research studies on autism, epilepsy and melanoma.

ResearchKit is an open platform that lets doctors and scientists gather accurate realtime data from study participants via their iPhone and Apple Watch.

Autism & Beyond is one of the first ResearchKit apps launched by Duke University. Autism & Beyond: Duke University and Duke Medicine, in partnership with Peking University in China and other global institutions, are researching whether the front-facing iPhone camera can be used to detect signs of developmental issues at a much younger age. The tool kit will have facial recognition algorithms that track how a child reacts to videos shown on screen.

Johns Hopkins worked on the EpiWatch app. As the Apple Watch comes with accelerometers, it’s a great way to measure the onset and duration of seizures.

Apple will work with leading universities and research centers including Duke University, John Hopkins, and Oregon Health & Science University.

ResearchKit’s six-month-old universe is expanding again, thanks to three new healthcare projects that make use of the iPhone and Apple Watch.

So Crone and his colleagues developed a research app called EpiWatch, which will collect data from epileptic patients about their seizures. The app also helps participants manage their disorder by tracking their medication adherence and by screening for side effects, while allowing participants to compare their condition with others in the research study.

Patients using the tool will be able to submit their photos to researchers who will then develop and algorithm to better detect at risk moles.

“Melanoma is the poster child for early detection”.

“Melanoma is the poster child for early detection”, Knight Cancer Institute Melanoma Research Program Director Sancy Leachman said in a statement.

The idea behind ResearchKit is that it should be easier to make contributions to medical research. Initial Active Task modules included tasks to measure motor activities, fitness, cognition and voice.

Apple has said that there are a number of other potential studies in the works which could be added to ResearchKit, including hearing loss as well as reaction time to a stimulus and walk and memory tests.