Bridging the global Parkinson's divide: Technology as a structural solution for equitable and brain health-integrated care.
Bridging the global Parkinson's divide: Technology as a structural solution for equitable and brain health-integrated care.
Where did the research take place?
The study site has not been established. Author addresses may differ from where the research occurred.
Bangkok, TH · Author affiliation
Chulalongkorn Centre of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease & Related Disorders, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand.Location evidence
New York City, US · Author affiliation
Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA.Location evidence
Kiel, DE · Author affiliation
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.Location evidence
Cincinnati, US · Author affiliation
James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, USA.Location evidence
IS · Author affiliation · country only
Neurology Unit, Island Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.Location evidence
MY · Author affiliation · country only
Neurology Unit, Island Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.Location evidence
Vientiane, LA · Author affiliation
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR.Location evidence
Kolkata, IN · Author affiliation
Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurosciences Kolkata (I-NK), Kolkata, West Bengal, India.Location evidence
Brescia, IT · Author affiliation
Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.Location evidence
SE · Author affiliation · country only
Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Instituet, Stokholm, Sweden.Location evidence
Nijmegen, NL · Author affiliation
Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.Location evidence
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Original abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, with projections exceeding 25 million people by 2050. Its burden, however, is unevenly distributed. Many low- and middle-income countries face rapidly rising prevalence alongside profound shortages in neurological workforce, infrastructure, and access to specialised care and essential therapies. This global "Parkinson's divide" reflects not merely a funding gap, but a structural mismatch between disease burden and health-system capacity. Traditional clinic-centred models cannot scale to meet this expanding demand.This article argues that technology, when responsibly implemented, offers a structural response to this capacity gap. Telemedicine expands access by decoupling specialist expertise from geography. Wearable and domestic sensor-based technologies extend clinical visibility beyond episodic encounters, capturing real-world fluctuations, mobility changes, falls, and sleep disturbances. Artificial intelligence, positioned as augmented rather than autonomous intelligence, can transform high-volume longitudinal data into actionable insights that support triage, task-sharing, and continuity across distributed care networks. Mobile health platforms further strengthen patient agency through structured self-management and co-designed digital ecosystems.Yet innovation alone is not sufficient. Impact depends on feasibility, interoperability, workforce development, governance, and equity-first design, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Embedded within hybrid care models and life-course brain health frameworks, digital technologies can shift PD management from episodic symptom control toward longitudinal stewardship of function and resilience, helping to convert scarcity into distributed capability and narrow global inequities in Parkinson's care for our future generations.