Parkinson's Disease

A progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting movement, including tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement, and balance problems. Parkinson's disease can also significantly affect speech (causing quiet, monotone, or slurred speech), facial expression, and fine motor control. As the disease progresses, communication becomes increasingly challenging, and some people may benefit from augmentative communication technologies. However, the progressive nature of Parkinson's — including effects on eye movement control — can make gaze-based communication systems difficult to use, as demonstrated in research where a participant's Parkinson's-affected eye movements prevented successful use of gaze-based selection.