ABOUTMission statement
The hope with MASKED is to improve patient-health outcomes and mitigate socio-economic burdens among families, communities, and societies affected by PD and related chronic, progressive illnesses.
PROBLEMHypomimia, or reduced facial behavior expressivity, is a common feature and clinical hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD).
Hypomimic symptomatology can significantly impact the patients’ social wellness and sufferers’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Affective experience and emotional cognition, achieved through facial expression, are increasingly impaired by PD progression. And this, in turn, frequently leads to social discrimination and disease stigmatization.
more than 10 million people worldwide live with PD
41 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are lost annually in the EU
the average cost of illness (COI) for a patient in the EU is €21,000 per year, €100,000 for the most severely affected patients
in the US, the total economic cost of PD and similar neurodegenerative diseases is to be estimated around $52 billion per year
between 1990 and 2021 in the US, environmental risk factors have led to an increase in PD by 133%
the average age for PD diagnosis continues to trend younger due to exposure of populations to environmental pollutants, such as microplastics contaminants
SOLUTIONNoninvasive symptom assessment techniques, on the basis of the face and its affect, are highly desirable across medico-technological sectors.
MASKED proposes the quantifications of hypomimia based on artificial intelligence (AI), facial recognition technology (FRT), and automated facial behavior analysis (AFBA).
most current diagnostic techniques are interminable, invasive, and inaccurate
advanced medical imaging technologies (MRI, MPS, TCS) are expensive and elaborate, a setup ill-suited for the repeat evaluations of neurological diseases and their longitudinal progression
nuclear medical imaging technologies (PET, SPECT) have inhibitive costs and limited accessibility, requiring specialized equipment and radiopharmaceuticals
the need is great, therefore, in coordinated yet decentralized networks of specialized AI agents, that is, in multi-agent systems for healthcare (MASH), which perform autonomous and assistive tasks across clinical operative domains
affective computing and e-health technologies have the potential to transform this situation with PD and its diagnostics through early-indicating, noninvasive symptom assessment
THE MASKED PROJECTWe'll ensure you always get verifiable, transparent, and reproducible results.
Face data is sensitive data. Audiovisual media includes personally identifiable information (PII). All data and analysis in MASKED is compliant with both FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
Upskilling & Theory of Knowledge (ToK)
behavioral analytics, empirical laws, and PD hypomimia
Research & Development of Databases/sets
data generation and statistical analysis in PD prediction
Facilitating Outreach & Knowledge Dissemination
academic, industry, and public health stakeholders
Establishing Intersectoral Research Consortium
across higher education sector and medical technology sector
Novel Innovation of Methodological Framework
applying models to PD assessment
Pre-Commercialization
hypomimia metrics and PD models toward novel healthcare technological solutions
The MASKED project is funded by:
- Horizon Europe / Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff Exchange under Grant Agreement No. 101236781
FAQDiverse technologies
A Biosemiotic Approach to Health Science
Podcasting operational change management inside of workflows to establish a framework. Taking seamless key performance indicators offline to maximise the long tail. Keeping your eye on the ball while performing a deep dive on the start-up mentality to derive convergence on cross-platform integration.
Collaboratively administrate empowered markets via plug-and-play networks. Dynamically procrastinate B2C users after installed base benefits. Dramatically visualize customer directed convergence without revolutionary ROI.
Cross-Inter-Multi-Trans Disciplinarity
Bring to the table win-win survival strategies to ensure proactive domination. At the end of the day, going forward, a new normal that has evolved from generation X is on the runway heading towards a streamlined cloud solution. User generated content in real-time will have multiple touchpoints for offshoring.
The Ethics of Medical AI
Leverage agile frameworks to provide a robust synopsis for high level overviews. Iterative approaches to corporate strategy foster collaborative thinking to further the overall value proposition. Organically grow the holistic world view of disruptive innovation via workplace diversity and empowerment.
Can I request my own laboratory tests?
Collaboratively administrate empowered markets via plug-and-play networks. Dynamically procrastinate B2C users after installed base benefits. Dramatically visualize customer directed convergence without revolutionary ROI.
FAQWorldwide impact
What products are cosmetics?
Podcasting operational change management inside of workflows to establish a framework. Taking seamless key performance indicators offline to maximise the long tail. Keeping your eye on the ball while performing a deep dive on the start-up mentality to derive convergence on cross-platform integration.
Collaboratively administrate empowered markets via plug-and-play networks. Dynamically procrastinate B2C users after installed base benefits. Dramatically visualize customer directed convergence without revolutionary ROI.
Is animal testing legally required?
Bring to the table win-win survival strategies to ensure proactive domination. At the end of the day, going forward, a new normal that has evolved from generation X is on the runway heading towards a streamlined cloud solution. User generated content in real-time will have multiple touchpoints for offshoring.
What are the alternatives to testing?
Leverage agile frameworks to provide a robust synopsis for high level overviews. Iterative approaches to corporate strategy foster collaborative thinking to further the overall value proposition. Organically grow the holistic world view of disruptive innovation via workplace diversity and empowerment.
Where is animal testing safe?
Collaboratively administrate empowered markets via plug-and-play networks. Dynamically procrastinate B2C users after installed base benefits. Dramatically visualize customer directed convergence without revolutionary ROI.
© 2026 MASKED Consortium. All rights reserved. This project is funded by the Horizon Europe / Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff Exchange under Grant Agreement No. 101236781.