Peer-reviewed research

Computer keyboard interaction as an indicator of early Parkinson's disease

Luca Giancardo et al., Scientific Reports, 2016 · DOI 10.1038/srep34468

Read on October 16, 2026

What it is: A study of key hold times during ordinary typing in 42 people with early Parkinson's disease and 43 controls.
How much weight it carries: Peer-reviewed and open access. The sample is small and the work is a screening research result, not a diagnostic test.

Facts taken from this source

In the Giancardo study, the typing measure was comparable to or better than two clinical tapping tests, alternating finger tapping (AUC 0.75) and single key tapping (AUC 0.61).
“The performance was comparable or better than two other quantitative motor performance tests used clinically: alternating finger tapping (AUC = 0.75) and single key tapping (AUC = 0.61).” (Abstract)
In the Giancardo study, participants typed a folk tale on their own computer as they normally would at home, and were free to correct mistakes.
“The subjects were instructed to type as they normally would do at home and they were left free to correct typing mistakes only if they want” (Methods, Data collection)
Analysis of key hold times during ordinary typing distinguished early Parkinson's disease patients from controls with an AUC of 0.81 in a group of 42 patients and 43 controls.
“This new approach discriminated early PD groups from controls with an AUC = 0.81 (n = 42/43; mean age = 59.0/60.1; women = 43%/60%;PD/controls).” (Abstract)