A blinded, controlled trial of objective measurement in Parkinson’s disease

Medical conditions with effective therapies are usually managed with
objective measurement and therapeutic targets. Parkinson's disease
has effective therapies, but continuous objective measurement has only
recently become available. This blinded, controlled study examined whether
management of Parkinson's disease was improved when clinical
assessment and therapeutic decisions were aided by objective measurement.
The primary endpoint was improvement in the Movement Disorder
Society-United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale's (MDS-UPDRS)
Total Score. In one arm, objective measurement assisted doctors to alter
therapy over successive visits until objective measurement scores were in
target. Patients in the other arm were conventionally assessed and
therapies were changed until judged optimal. There were 75 subjects in the
objective measurement arm and 79 in the arm with conventional assessment
and treatment. There were statistically significant improvements in the
moderate clinically meaningful range in the MDS-UPDRS Total, III, IV
scales in the arm using objective measurement, but not in the
conventionally treated arm. These findings show that global motor and
non-motor disability is improved when the management of Parkinson's
disease is assisted by objective measurement.