Validating wearable sensors as an assessment tool for Parkinson’s disease

The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society Modified Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) is the gold standard evaluation of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), but there is inter-rater variability. Wearable biosensors are a novel tool to quantify neurodegenerative symptoms in PD. This project aimed to use XSens sensors to assess PD patients during motor tasks and identify differences compared to controls.
Participants with PD (n = 6) exhibiting freezing of gait (FOG) were compared to controls meeting inclusion criteria (n = 5). Participants donned inertial motion capture sensors and underwent motor assessments. Data was analyzed using MATLAB and Prism.
Using XSens, we found stride length in PD patients is reduced compared to controls (0.58 m vs. 0.97 m, p = 0.0028). Wrist rotational area is reduced in PD patients compared to controls (445mm2 vs. 2731 mm2, p < 0.01). When following the beat of a metronome, PD patients exhibited an increased standard deviation in beats per minute compared to controls (0.072 vs. 0.040, p = 0.024).
We identified novel clinical tests of wrist rigidity and rhythmicity, which identified significant differences between groups. This exploratory study indicates accelerometry is a promising biomarker for remote monitoring and screening of PD, which needs to be substantiated with large-scale clinical studies.
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive, debilitating neurodegenerative disorder which requires clinical monitoring and care.
Earlier diagnosis and more accurate monitoring can enhance patient rehabilitation via medical and physical support.
Wearable sensors show potential as tools to assess the severity of motor symptoms and therapeutic progress in PD; there is a need for future studies with larger, more diverse cohorts.
In a small sample of patients and controls, this study demonstrates that wearable sensors are feasible in-office and at-home monitoring tools for PD response to rehabilitation.