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OpenTrials
Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT05621369

Psorcast Mobile Study

The purpose of this study is to understand variation in the symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis using simple, scalable smartphone-based measurements. This study uses an iPhone app to record these symptoms through questionnaires and sensors.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Psoriatic Arthritis Arthralgia Arthritis Arthritis, Psoriatic Bone Diseases Collagen Diseases Connective Tissue Diseases Dactylitis Dermatologic Disease Joint Diseases Joint Pain Musculoskeletal Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Plaque Psoriasis Psoriasis Psoriatic Conditions Psoriatic Nail Rheumatologic Disease Signs and Symptoms Skin Diseases Skin Diseases, Papulosquamous Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases Spinal Diseases Spondylarthritis Spondylarthropathies Spondylitis

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Sage Bionetworks

Seattle, Washington, 98109, United States

About this study

Psoriatic disease exhibits a spectrum of symptoms and can transition from psoriasis (PsO), largely affecting the skin, to psoriatic arthritis (PsA) involving widespread musculoskeletal inflammation. Early detection of the PsO-to-PsA transition and rapid administration of effective treatment is essential, as a delay in diagnosing PsA by as little as 6 months can lead to irreversible joint damage. This "ticking clock" paradigm drives the need for frequent monitoring and effective therapeutic intervention as early as possible to attenuate or possibly prevent disease progression. Using a suite of smartphone-based measurements in an app called Psorcast (psoriasis forecasts), we aim to aggregate weekly, symptom measurements from participants in a remote, longitudinal observational study to map the trajectories of treatment response and disease progression. In this study, we will explore measurements of psoriatic disease activity at least an order of magnitude more frequently (weekly vs. quarterly) than standard clinical practice or clinical trial designs. This study is not meant to provide a medical diagnosis, treatment, or medical advice. It is meant to provide a scalable, inexpensive, non-invasive and frequent measure and tracking of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis for research purposes.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adult age 18 and older who consent to participate in the study
  • Own a compatible iPhone or iPod Touch device running iOS 12.2 or above
  • Be able to read and understand an official language of the country of participation

Exclusion criteria

  • Age 17 years or younger
  • Not a resident of the a country where the app is approved for use
  • Not have a personal (i.e., not shared) iPhone (4s or newer running iOS 8.0 or later)
  • Not be able to read and understand an official language of the country of participation

Treatment and study plan

Participant self-assessment surveys

Behavioral

At enrollment, participants are asked to complete a baseline health history, family history, and a participant-reported symptom inventory.

Psoriasis Draw

Behavioral

Participants are asked to draw the location and size of psoriasis they currently experience. Participants are provided a body template onto which they can draw on their screen. Investigators estimate the percentage of body area affected.

Psoriasis Area Photo

Behavioral

Participants are asked to take a picture of a representative psoriasis plaque and indicate the location of the plaque. They are asked to take a picture of the same area over time. The investigators are developing computer vision algorithms to assess the plaque.

Finger and Toe Photos

Behavioral

Participants are asked to take pictures of the back of each hand and the top of each foot. These photos can be used to assess finger and toe swelling as well as psoriatic nail involvement. The investigators are developing computer vision algorithms to assess psoriatic nail involvement and digit swelling.

Digital Jar Open

Behavioral

Participants are asked to internally and externally rotate the phone as it rests on a flat surface. Participants perform each direction (internal and external) and each arm (left and right) in turn. Gyroscope sensors measure the degree of rotation.

30 Second Walk

Behavioral

Participants are asked to walk in a straight line for 30 seconds. Gait is measured by gyroscope and accelerometer sensors. The investigators examine step-dependent and sequence-dependent features from these sensors. The investigators apply feature selection and classifier algorithms to analyze these data.

Psorcast mobile application

Other

Participants complete all described behavioral interventions via a dedicated iPhone app, Psorcast.

Primary outcomes

  1. Results of participant self-assessment surveys

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 years

    Results of participant self-assessment surveys will be analyzed using descriptive statistics. These results may also be compared with other intervention results.

  2. Body surface area and location from the Psoriasis Draw assessment

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 years

    The investigators will quantify body surface area and psoriasis area hotspots across the cohort. These results may also be compared with other intervention results.

  3. Computer vision features from Psoriasis Area Photo assessment

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 years

    The investigators apply visual processing and classifier algorithms to analyze the images from the Psoriasis Area Photo assessments. These results may also be compared with other intervention results.

  4. Computer vision features from Finger/Toe Photos

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 years

    The investigators apply visual processing and classifier algorithms to segment nails and joints from hand and foot photos. These results may also be compared with other intervention results.

  5. Gyroscope and accelerometer sensor measurements from Digital Jar Open assessment

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 years

    The investigators examine rotational features from gyroscope and accelerometer sensors. The investigators apply feature selection and classifier algorithms to analyze these data. These results may also be compared with other intervention results.

  6. Gyroscope and accelerometer sensor measurements from 30-sec Walk assessment

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 years

    The investigators examine step-dependent and sequence-dependent features from gyroscope and accelerometer sensors. The investigators apply feature selection and classifier algorithms to analyze these data. These results may also be compared with other intervention results.

  7. Quantification and distribution of self-reported painful joints

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 years

    The investigators will quantify the self-reported painful joints and, in particular, compare to measurements from the 30-sec Walk and Digital Jar Open to identify correlations. These results may also be compared with other intervention results.

Secondary outcomes

  1. App usage data for assessment of participant engagement

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 years

    App usage data is used to gauge participant engagement throughout the study period. These results may also be compared with other intervention results.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Sage Bionetworks

Other

Collaborators

  • Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)
  • NYU Langone Health
  • New York University
  • University of Pennsylvania

Registry information

Official study title

Psorcast Study: A Smartphone-based Study of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Nov 18, 2022
Registry last updated
Jun 1, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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